Beast: Predator & Prey, #2

By James D Horton

"My heart was thumping like mad, I couldn't seem to read fast enough.....then the shocking ending comes!" - The Kindle Book Review 

"Violence, angst and sexual tension abound." 

No one escapes the night unscathed... 

It has been days since Lily killed the vampire responsible for her brutal attack. Now she and Wolf have been summoned by the Society to answer for her actions. Standing before the Regent, she learns she has tipped the human and supernatural scales. A new vampire is required to restore balance. 

When she hears the penalty for her crime, Wolf protectively steps in and accepts a dangerous task in exchange for her freedom. He must find the rogue vampire who has been slaughtering citizens in their territory or risk losing Lily to the Society. And he only has days to do it. 

As the night of reckoning fast approaches, Lily finds an unlikely advocate in a centuries-old, seductive vampire named Athene who gives her an ominous warning. Athene knows secrets about Wolf she won't divulge, which only complicates the mysterious revelation Lily has recently discovered about herself. 

Screams, growls, and cries echo throughout the darkest, desolate streets of the city. The final showdown determines who is predator and who will become prey. One thing remains certain-no one escapes the night unscathed. 

Beast is the much anticipated sequel to Prey by James D Horton.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James D Horton
• Release date: Aug 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781524233419

Book preview

PREDATOR & PREY

book two

BEAST

James D Horton

Copyrighted Material

Beast (Predator & Prey, #2)

Copyright © 2014 by James D Horton. All Rights Reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual or imagined persons, living or dead, or actual or imagined events is purely coincidental.

For information about this title or to order other books and/or electronic media, contact the author:

www.jamesdhorton.com

Cover and interior design by Miranda Horton at www.bookdesignandediting.com

More Books by James D Horton

Fiction

Predator & Prey

Control (Predator & Prey, #3)

Non-Fiction

Be Happy: The Foundation of a Happy Relationship – 12 Principles for Leading a Happy Life

A Coffee Lover’s Guide to Love: How to Make Your Relationship Better and Keys to a Successful Marriage

BEAST

Table of Contents

––––––––

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER ONE

lily1

I KILLED SOMEONE THREE DAYS AGO. Does it make me a monster that I don't feel guilty about it? I don't think so, but a part of me worries that I should. Maybe I'm just still numb about the whole thing. The man I shot hired a group of thugs to rape and murder me, he deserved to die and mostly I'm glad I was the one to pull the trigger. Wolf gave me that chance to take control of my life and since then I have met him every night after my work at KMC Radio where I host Overnight with Lily. He is teaching me to be a predator in a city full of those who see the citizens as their prey.

Vampire Society, their term not mine, knows him as Dallas. I know him as Wolf, my Wolf. I want him to be anyway, sometimes I'm not so sure of what he wants. We walk side by side down the darkened city street, the guns on his hips make a light slapping sound and his cowboy boots clack on the asphalt. We are close enough I can smell the musky scent of him. Low in my belly, muscles tighten and warmth blossoms in desire.

I ignore my need and look up at him; his height makes me aware of my own tiny five foot two. He towers over me at six feet tall.

What is this tonight? I ask.

He looks down at me; his amber eyes gather the light and turn them into reflective pools.

The Regent called Assembly. His gravelly voice is low.

I nod as if this means anything to me.

Wolf doesn't talk much. Before he saved my life he would call into my radio show and say just enough to get me talking and no more. In the past few days I’m sure I've said thirty words for every one of his. Mentally, I shrug. Sometimes, I find his silence comforting, right now though, I’m curious.

What is 'Assembly'? I prod him for more information.

He turns to look at me and shakes his head slightly. A chance for the predators to prance and parade.

His voice sounds derisive and I arch an eyebrow in confusion. And what does that mean?

He pauses in his stride, looks around, sniffs the air, and then puts his attention fully on me. They hide their nature under social niceties. They cage the beast inside us with laws, rules, social status, and games that pit them against each other for imaginary standing in their 'society'.

I nod, impressed to get that many words from him.

So why are we going?

He stares at me, expression flat, before answering. They asked me to. Nicely.

I frown, knowing something is missing there, but I'm not likely to find it out right now.

He turns and starts walking again, I follow and it is not too long before the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I look around, but Wolf grabs my arm and pulls me forward, causing me to stumble. A low growl rolls from him and I take the hint to keep moving. My senses strain out for any sound, some motion, something to associate with the feeling of danger. I thought I had seen something just out of the corner of my eye, but now I spot nothing.

Again, I think I see a shadow, something big flying at the edge of my vision just over the tops of the buildings. When I turn to look at it directly, though, nothing is there. After a few minutes I can't sense the presence anymore.

Eventually, we arrive at a large mansion. We are close to the edge of town, on the opposite side from where I work at the radio station and miles from the woods Wolf calls home. A wrought iron fence marks the boundary to the place; each post ends in a sharp point like an arrowhead. The lawn is well maintained, the bushes are perfectly trimmed, and the trees are allowed to grow to the perfect height. Everything is laid out to exacting details. There are even shadowy forms in the yard that I assume are statues. An eight foot gate stands before us with no signs of any guards.

I feel a tingling as we approach like strong static electricity. It gives me painful goose bumps and I note a slight pause as Wolf approaches the gate, a small hitch in his step. I look up at him and see his eyes narrow as if with strain, his lip pulls back showing a hint of his fangs. I raise my hand to his chest wanting to comfort him, but he shakes his head causing his shoulder length hair that sticks down past his cowboy hat to swing over the collar of the black duster he wears. The moment passes as we step beyond the gate and he relaxes, the strain disappearing from his face.

What was that? I pitch my voice to a whisper knowing he will hear it.

Magic, he growls.

I can feel the tension in his voice, but there’s nothing I can do about it so I focus on what’s ahead. Light streams out of the windows of the mansion and the sound of violins drifts out over the moonlit yard. The building is extravagant in the extreme, at least four stories tall with marble pillars lining the front. The statues in the yard and around the front porch are gargoyles and the massive oak double door has gargoyle heads in the center holding iron rings. Wolf leads us straight to the door, there are no guards apparent which surprises me and I assume it must be due to the 'magic'. As we approach, I see something move off to my left. I spin towards it as fast as I can but I see nothing except a particularly ugly statue. Had it been in a different position a moment ago? I turn to say something to Wolf but he shakes his head before I can open my mouth.

He grabs a gargoyle handle and pulls the door open, leading us in. My nose wrinkles at the smells; sandalwood combined with pine, something coppery and the smell of sex. The entryway we stand in faces a massive staircase that splits and comes down both sides of the room and is decorated by red plush carpet runners. A marble bust of what appears to be Medusa, snakes for hair and all, sits on a small table to one side of the stairs. All of the furniture looks like expensive antiques, worth more than all the money I am likely to earn in my entire life. Directly ahead of us, between the stairs, is a pair of wooden doors with high polish brass handles and in front of them stands a man.

He is tall, almost as tall as Wolf.  His hair comes to his waist in long, straight lines and is perfectly white. His skin is alabaster, his eyes are pink with flecks of gold in them; he must be an albino. The white suit he wears is ragged, edging more towards gray from age or dirt, I'm not sure. He is skinny, too skinny. His hands that grip a gnarled wooden staff are bony and skeletal. He smiles broadly, showing fangs, unabashed to show his vampiric nature.

His fangs are much smaller than Wolf's I notice, an oddity I file away for later examination. I feel the darkness in him; it is different than what I sense in