Blood of The Beast

ii

Scylla:

    He's staring at me with an idle shock as I came around to help my little lady out of the car. She fought me when I tried to carry her. My dad stood at the top of the steps waiting for her to climb them up on her own when I gave up the battle. Killian came down and is already getting her things. I stood behind her ready to catch her in case she slipped or decided she wanted me to carry her after all.

    "Can you believe this girl, Dylan? She treats me like I'm going to spontaneously break into a million pieces," she complained cozying up into my dad's all too willing arms.

    "Constance, we are honored with your presence," he said wrapping her into a hug. If there's anyone who loves Constance as much as I do it's my father. He's thankful for everything she's done for me.

    "Good," she said walking inside.

    I sighed following close behind her. Alastair looked at her as she walked by him like he wasn't standing there. Her small figure, thinning long silver hair, and the way she's dressed is enough to let anyone know how truly beautiful she must have been once upon a time. If that isn't enough, the faded colors on her wrinkled arms where she had tattooed herself at a young age were more than enough evidence of her recklessness.

    "Nana," the pups that live here with the Alpha's guard all rushed out to greet her.

    "Careful," I growled. They all lowered their heads before hugging her gently.

    "Get out of here you grump," she swatted at me. "Who wants cookies?"

    "Me," all the kids shouted as they made their way to the kitchen. Allison came up to me and bowed.

    "Watch her," she rushed after my little lady.

    "Dylan?" Constance called out.

    "Yes, Constance?" my dad beamed. He wrapped his arm around me. "Have fun with crazy,"

    "Dad," I pushed him away when he placed a sloppy kiss on my head and rushed after her.

    "Need me some pie," he laughed. I turned around to come chest to face.

    I stepped back looking at the fitted white button-up under the black vest, the red tie goes perfectly with his selection of material. Looking up at him like this, I have to keep my features in check as my mind swoons. No one would ever think that such an angelic face belonged to a beast of his caliber.

    "Did you see your room yet?" I asked.

    "No. Your father ran the rules by me and a few other things," he smiled flashing his fangs. I nodded knowing just what those other things were. Idle threats on his baby girl's honor.

    "Come on then. I'll show you," he followed me up to the grand staircase toward the west wing.

    After I came back, when I finally remembered who I was, there was this unsettling urge to hurt other wolves in me. This urge was just as strong when I slept. Some nights, I woke up covered in blood with no knowledge of who and what was on me. My dad had the entire wing secluded just for me. The hall is barricaded with two massive steel double doors thin wood carvings covering the fact that this place was a cage meant to keep the beast in. All of the walls were taken down to create one massive room.

    Problem solved until I learned to control it. Then he decorated the room with mahogany red shelves, marble floor, gold lining, the place is amazing. I love this room. Every book I had read, volumes of encyclopedias, textbooks, lore, myths all of them decorate the walls. They had once been a bunch of scattered piles of notes and books along the floor. A mess until I was able to pick myself up and organize not just my mind but my life.

    "This is it," I said as I put the code into the number pad to unlocked the double doors so they could open up. Allison aside from my father is the only other person who has the code to these doors. She is the only one who is able to take me on when I lose it.

    I felt him tense when he walked in after me. The bed is at the top of the staircase right under the massive window. That was my favorite part of this room. Is, because I still come up here to read or when I need to research anything. Some of the shelves are still empty waiting for their turn to be useful. I didn't know how right I had been when I said there would be time to fill them.

    "This is your room?" he asked.

    "Yeah. Everything in this room belongs to me," I said when he walked in behind me. Including you, I wanted to add but that's not true, at least not yet.

    "You like to read," he stated caressing the spines of the books with the tips of his fingers as we went along.

    "I love to learn. I've read every single book in this room. Feel free to quiz me," I said climbing up to my bed.

    "I believe you," he chuckled, following me. I sat at the end of the massive bed and removed my chucks and walked over to my closet.

    "Shoes go in here if you want to remove yours. I have this thing about them being out in the open,"

    "What thing?" he asked with a smirk.

    "I will gravitate to them. Somehow and trip over them. Never fails. So closet," he gave me a nod before going to the massive tinted window.

    "Can I ask why this is tinted?"

    "I spent a lot of time here when I was younger. I fell asleep one time during the summer got a really bad sunburn. My dad tinted it just enough to make sure the sunlight doesn't harm me. That way when night comes I can still see the stars. It's an amazing view," I said walking over to him. "This is right on the overlook. What you're looking at is the housing for the pups in training,"

    He never took his eyes off of me. Which made my words empty to him. I looked at him and motioned him to take an interest in what I said and he glanced out of the window briefly before looking back at me. He took in a deep breath shutting his eyes before he released it and looked over at me again.

    "I'd like to apologize for earlier. I don't know what came over me, filtatos (Beloved),"

    "You're greek," I stated ignoring his use of vocabulary. His birthplace has never been specified.

    "Not born, but raised," he said searching for something in my eyes. He knows I don't like it. The monster in me doesn't like it. To her, it's a straight challenge. I know he feels it.

    "Don't apologize. There will be times when I might be just the same. Maybe worse. I read into a lot of things at once and I can't help my reactions,"

    "I've heard of you," he whispered coming closer. "Twenty-six, the mentality of an elder, skills of a hunter, the intellect of youngling entering prime. You are the wolf alpha's strive to be and never come close to being, even with centuries of practice,"

    "You make it sound like a gift," I sighed looking away. He put his index finger in my chin and made me look back into his cold stare. "And I'm Twenty-Seven,"

    "It is a gift. There is no room for anything else worthy of what you are my dear. You are a gift to this world. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," his chest vibrated against my arm with a low growl that set off chills throughout my body. Mighty Zeus, this man sounds like my father. Lies, we all know I'm damned. 

    "I've done things," I whispered. "A gift does not destroy as I have. Whatever this is, it's a curse. I've swept over my own. Come to, to find those who put their love and trust in me dead by my hands with no memory of it. How is that a gift?"

    "What must you think of me?" he asked reaching up placing his cool hand on my cheek. I pushed into his hand enjoying the feel he triggers in me. The sensation is nearly indescribable. It's electric like being electrocuted except this is a silent buzzing and it feels amazing. 

    "You?" I asked and he nodded.

    The warmth came up spreading over my face and he smiled. I'd never seen a beast smile so serenely before. I walked over to the shelf where I kept the original copy of the assignment I dedicated to his honor. I smiled at the A at the top of the front page and handed it to him. I had been so young then but my opinion of him hasn't ever changed. Not even a little.

    "I wrote that when I was fourteen. Try not to judge it too harshly. It'll ruin the pride of all it's accomplished,"

    "May I?" he asked looking at the bed.

    "Everything here is now yours. I'm going to check on Constance. I'll be back. If you finish before I'm back, feel free to join us. I'd love for you to meet her,"

    "She's mortal and sick," he said making me stop before I rushed down the stairs to the door.

    "I know, but she's very important to me. She saved me," I heard him take a deep breath.

    I took that as my cue to leave. I left him there to read my paper. I walked down to the kitchen where my little lady's voice joyfully told the pups the story of when she took me in. They loved it. I stood at the doorway listening to her voice memorizing it finely. Programming everything about her into my mind before I lost her. This day is perfect. Too perfect.

    "Come in here girl," she ordered.

    "You aren't still mad at me are you, Nana?" I asked. She looked at the pups.

    "What do you think children, should we forgive her for being mean?"

    "Yes," they all giggled before they rushed out of the kitchen and into the playroom where she usually took all the goodies she made.

    "Come here, pretty girl. Have a cupcake," I walked over to her small frame and took the chocolate cupcake with pink frosting on top. "I made this one special for you. It's your favorite,"

    "Strawberry filling?" I asked and she nodded.

    My dad and Killian appeared from the pantry room with a few things in their arms. Nana always makes a mess when she's here. The kitchen staff loves it. So do the mothers of the pups who live here. It gives them some alone time with their mates. These kids hang onto Nana as I did. As I try to.

    "How is it?" she asked when I took a bite.

    "Delicious as usual Nana. Did you do something different?" she snapped her fingers.

    "I knew she was going to notice," she murmured under her breath.

    "What is it?" I laughed.

    "I changed the sour cream to plain yogurt. No one noticed at Bingo," she smiled. "I almost got away with it,"

    "It's better. I love it," she nodded placing her hands on my face.

    "Beautiful," she commented and started giving my dad and Killian orders. "Where is this boy of yours?"

    "He's upstairs, Nana," she giggled her evil little laugh. I shook my head.

    "You naughty girl," she chided. Killian and my dad snickered.

    "Nana," I scolded.

    "It's only natural," she shrugged opening the oven.

    The smell of cherry pie burst into the air making us all take a deep breath enjoying the scent of it. I looked over to where she liked to sit for the timer to come around and noticed a notebook with several lines written on them. I walked over to see what it was and found it was a bunch of ingredients and precise instructions.

    "Are you coming up with a new recipe, Nana?" I asked.

    She didn't answer me as she pulled out a tray with three pies on it. She placed them by the window to cool down and shoved a couple of large trays of sugar cookies in the oven. She looked out the window placing her hands on the counter as if she were trying to keep her balance. The quiet of her demeanor alarmed me. My dad and Killian walked out leaving just us two behind.

    "No, my love. Nothing new for me. Those times are behind us now. I'm writing down my recipes for Allison. My beautiful girl still has to eat, yes? It's all I can give to you after I'm gone, my love,"

    Tears breached my eyes and slid down my cheeks. I hate it when she says things like that. She caught them with her soft gentle hands. She turned the radio on. Frank Sinatra played as she took my hands and climbed onto my bare feet and began to dance with me. I looked down and smiled at her mix-matched socks over my black ones. More tears came as I held her to me and we swayed to the ballroom music of her favorite man, besides my dad of course.

    "You have given me so much, Nana," I said after a few songs had played.

    "Not as much as you have, my pretty girl. You've made the last years of my miserable existence the most beautiful. You put life back into this old hag and loved me more than I have ever been loved before," I held her tighter to me taking in her distorted scent. "Now. Show me this boy,"

    I looked over to the doorway to see my beast standing in there. His eyes filled with something I can't really put my finger on. She turned to see what I was looking at and took my hand and walked over to him. She has no idea that this man is many centuries older than she, but she took his hand and lead us both to the bar stools of the island in the center of the kitchen.

    "What's your name young man?" she asked and we both laughed.

    "Alastair, madam," he answered politely.

    "Alastair. I like it. It fits my expectation," I looked at her eyes wide in questioning. "My princess needs a king to become the queen I know she is. I know you can feel the withering in me, boy. I won't be here in due time and I need someone to look after her. Someone who can pay attention to detail. Someone as strong as me. Can you?"

    "I will try with my entire being," he swore, looking her in the eyes. There was no menace in his eyes, the cold stare, gone. She took the notebook she had been writing in and shut it. She pushed it into his hands with a smile on her lips.

    "Good, that's all I ask for," she chided, placing her hand on his cheek. He stiffened at the sudden action but then relaxed into her gentle touch. "She'll warm you with a simple smile,"

    "Nana," I warned. I feel the fatigue in her and want to get her to bed so she can rest. At least that's what I kept repeating in my head.

    "Yes, yes I know. Bedtime," she scoffed. "Troublesome girl,"

    "Excuse us, Alastair," I smiled.

    "It was an honor meeting you, Constance," she gave him a nod her eyes lower than they should be. She always fought through her exhaustion.

    "Same to you son," she whispered tiredly and turned to me. "When the timer goes off have someone take my cookies out. I don't want them to burn,"

    I lifted her into my arms and made my way up the stairs and into her room close to my father's bedroom. She had wanted to be close to him from the moment they met. My dad had no problem with that. He loves her. I set her down on her bed taking her slippers she had slipped on before we left the kitchen and placed them on the bed next to her. I then helped her out of her clothes and into her white nightie.

    I lifted her again and took her into the bath and readied it for her. I took my socks off and my jacket and carried her into the massive tub with me. She isn't going to make the night. I feel it in my soul. This is what she had been waiting for. I let the warm water run until it covered us up to our waists.

    "Sing me the song from Sucker Punch," she demanded. I pulled her into my arms as she swayed her arms back in forth in the water. She had watched that movie up to eleven times in one day. She had me download it into her phone. "The bath salts make it feel like a warm ocean,"

    "Sing me to sleep," I began to sing. "Sing me to sleep. I'm tired and I want to go to bed. Sing me to sleep. Sing me to sleep. And then leave me alone. Don't try to wake me in the morning. 'Cause I will be gone. Don't feel bad for me I want you to know. Deep in the cell of my heart, I will feel so glad to go. Sing me to sleep. Sing me to sleep. I don't want to wake up. On my own anymore. Sing to me. Sing to me. I don't want to wake up on my own anymore. Don't feel bad for me. I want you to know. Deep in the cell of my heart, I really want to go. Sing me to sleep. Sing me to sleep. There is another world. There is a better world. Well, there must be, there must be. There is another world. There is a better world,"

    "The Band Perry one," she demanded. I smiled.

    "If I die young bury me in satin lay me down on a bed of roses. Sink me in the river at dawn. Send me away with the words of a love song. Uh oh (uh oh). Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother. She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh and Life ain't always what you think it oughta be, no. Ain't even gray, but she buries her baby. The sharp knife of a short life. Well, I've had just enough time. If I die young bury me in satin. Lay me down on a bed of roses. Sink me in the river at dawn. Send me away with the words of a love song. The sharp knife of a short life. Well, I've had just enough time. And I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom. I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger. I've never known the lovin' of a man. But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand. There's a boy here in town says he'll love me forever. Who would have thought forever could be severed by the sharp knife of a short life. Well, I've had just enough time. So put on your best boys and I'll wear my pearls. What I never did is done. A penny for my thoughts, oh no I'll sell them for a dollar. They're worth so much more after I'm a goner. And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'. Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'. If I die young bury me in satin. Lay me down on a bed of roses. Sink me in the river at dawn. Send me away with the words of a love song. Uh oh (uh oh). The ballad of a dove. Go with peace and love. Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket. Save 'em for a time when you're really gonna need 'em. Oh, the sharp knife of a short life. Well, I've had just enough time. So put on your best boys, and I'll wear my pearls,"

    I felt it when it happened. Somewhere in the middle of the song, her arms stopped swaying. She lied back against me as she took a couple of last breaths. She placed her hands over my arms and looked up at me with a smile as her eyes drifted into a deep sleep. I kept singing as the sound of her steady heartbeats began to slow.

    I didn't let out the cry until her heart had stopped altogether. I buried my face in the crook of her neck as a deep denial of dread washed over me. She's gone, but my mind refused to accept it. We had prepared for this for months now. I had told myself that one day I was going to have to get up and accept the fact that my little lady would no longer be here. She had told me this morning not to be late. She had said that she would hold out until she believed I was ready. She swore to me I'd be ready when the time came.

    "I'm not ready," I cried out loud holding her tighter to me. "Nana, I'm not ready,"

    I held her against me as time slipped me by. I fell asleep like this, I opened my eyes when I felt them come for her. Killian and Gerard took her out of the water as I came around. When I realized she was no longer here, again. I jumped up a pair of arms caught me from behind as they hauled her away from me.

    "No," I heard myself cry out. "She's mine. Make her come back. Please, I need her,"

    "Scylla," it was the first time I had heard him say my name. It shocked me and my body went limp in his arm but I couldn't take my attention from her body as the took her away.

    "Is she okay?" I asked to no one in particular.

    "Yes," he whispered into my neck. "Better than okay. She'll never suffer again. She'll bake until her heart's content. There is no more suffering for your little lady,"