Bella's Beast (4 page)

Chapter Six

The
brightness of the sun finally forced her awake and she groaned. Her body ached
in muscles she’d forgotten she owned. Elijio was a tireless and consummate
lover. He’d needed to hear every scream, every moan, until her throat was horse
and her
body limp
. Not to say that wasn’t something
she greatly appreciated, but in the morning after?
Ow.
She shifted, feeling something tickling her nose and sniffed at
it. It didn’t go away so she swiped at it with her hand. She was met with the
sound of a grunt.

Her
eyes flew open and she was staring into black fur. She frowned. The bed hadn’t
been covered in fur when she and Elijio had lain on it. She remembered the
slide of silk, still felt it over her stomach. But she was hot.
Very hot.
She ran her fingers through the pelt. It was
softer than she thought it would be. A soft grunt made her look up—right into
the eyes of a goddamned werewolf. She sat up, scrambling.

“Bella,”
the wolf said.
Holy shit, it can talk!

“
Wh-
what?” she stammered, dragging the covers up over her
body.

“It’s
me, Bella. Don’t be frightened.”

“Elijio?”
she questioned, shocked. She slid forward slightly in the bed. “Is that you?”

“Yes,”
he answered, his ears lowering. He was big, even bigger than
Elijio
in man form, and covered completely in black fur.
His face looked just like a wolf, with the elongated snout and dark eyes. When
he spoke there was a slight lisp to his words. She supposed human words weren’t
meant to come out of a muzzle.

“Please,”
he said again, and once more, since the night before, she heard him whimper. It
was that sound that made her look at him, really look at him. For all his size and
strength he sat motionless on the bed, trembling. His eyes shifted, looking for
any sort of movement, and his ears were plastered to his head.
He’s afraid,
she thought suddenly.

“How
is this possible?” she asked, inching closer until she could sink her hands
back in his pelt. He groaned, his eyes closing, and his ears perking.

“I
don’t know,” he said. “A long time ago, I was cursed with this. By day I am the
wolf, by night I am a man.”

“Who
cursed you? Why?”

“A witch.
She’d wanted a
piece of my prestige, my money, but I didn’t want to share it after just one
night in her bed. My refusal caused her to put a spell on me.”

“That
takes gold digging to a whole new level,” she said, and was surprised by his
bark of laughter. It looked good on him.

“I’ve
never thought of it in those terms before, but you are right,” he said with a
wolfish grin.

“Is
there any way you can break the curse?” He hesitated for a moment before
shaking his head.

“No,
she didn’t design it to be broken. I am what I am.”

“Is
that why they are all so afraid of you?”

“Who?”

“The
loan sharks.”

“No,
they only see me at night. But having the wolf inside me has some benefits. I’m
stronger, much stronger than the average human male, faster, smarter, and I can
see better too. And it’s pretty hard to kill me. Using those things in my human
form can give most men a reason to pause when they come for me. All they know
is that I can’t die, and there has been a few stories about me getting shot and
still fighting my way out. It’s useful, and it keeps me from being bothered.”

“I
would guess so. That’s why there were so quick to let my brother go.”

“
That,
and I have the money to back me up.
Sometimes
it more feasible to pay off trouble then to go at it with violence.”
The
reminder of exactly what she was doing here left a bitter taste in her mouth
and she pulled her hands away from Elijio. He lifted her chin with one big hand
gently.

“There
were a lot of things that were said last night, I know. But we don’t have to
have that between us. We are just a woman and a man, well, at least half of
one,” he finished self-deprecatingly.

“Don’t
do that. Don’t talk about yourself like that. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m
not running for the hills screaming right now. Any other time I think I’d be
trying to throw myself out a window to escape. But after everything my brother
has done, and all the things I’ve seen, you are not the worst. I’ve seen real
beasts. Men who beat and torture innocent people because others can’t stop
them, or won’t. I’ve seen my brother broken so bad he could barely move because
he couldn’t pay back money that the loan sharks knew he wouldn’t be able to
give back in the first place. I watched them harass my ailing mother until she
couldn’t take it anymore and the stress gave her a heart attack. And then I’ve
seen my brother, uncaring, and unfeeling for all the things we’ve sacrificed,
even as we are unable to stop sacrificing for him, because he can’t give up
gambling. No matter what he sees, he just can’t give it up, not even for us.
They are the real beasts.”

“I’m
not so sure, but I see what you mean,”
Elijio
said. A
knock at the door interrupted him from saying anything else, and Richard stepped
into the room, freezing when he saw
Elijio
curled
around her.

“I’m
sorry.
It’s
daylight, I thought …” Richard trailed
off.

“I
guess he knows your secret?” Bella whispered to Elijio after he jumped in front
of her to shield her from sight.

“Yes,
though he’s going to be a dead man in a second.”

“Don’t
be mean. I’m sure he didn’t think I was going to be here. You ripped up my
clothes, remember?” she whispered fiercely.

“I’ll
do it again, soon,” he said back. “Richard, have Mary get some things together
for Bella to wear and have the cook begin breakfast for us. I’ll be down once I
escort Bella to her room.”

“Certainly, sir.”

“I’m
just saying
,
it’s kind of weird talking to an
overgrown wolf.” Bella said then, when Richard closed the door behind him.

“Let’s
see how weird I can make it then,” Elijio tossed back, and pounced on her.

Chapter Seven

Dressed
in some comfy blue jeans and a canary-yellow camisole top, Bella followed
Richard down the stairs and to the left of the foyer. A little down a gilded
walkway filled with artwork on the walls and chandelier lighting, he took
another left, and then a right to reach a large dining room. The table could
sit at least thirty people, and
Elijio
sat at one
end, waiting for her. His ears twitched and she wondered if he was nervous.

“My
cook has prepared pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and sausage gravy. I hope
it’s
okay,” Elijio said finally. When her tummy rumbled they
both laughed.

“I
think that would be fine,” she answered and took the seat to his right that she
was directed to. After she filled her plate with food she looked over at him.

“You’re
house is like one on steroids. You never feel like you’ll get lost?”

“I’ve
been here for a very long time. Honestly I didn’t buy it for the size. I bought
it for the land it’s on. I wanted to have privacy. I can’t live in a dungeon
during the day. I needed to make sure I could move around without having to
worry about anyone seeing me. Not too many normal ranch style homes on
thousands of acres of land, unless I wanted a ranch, and that would defeat the
purpose of staying away from sight.”

“How
so?” she asked.

“Because the neighbors tend to be
helpful.
No one knows this is out here, so I’m safe.”

“But
they do know how to contact you.”

“I
deal with proxies or bosses directly. Those men know who I am. Shit, half of
them have paid me at one time or another. But they do not know where I am or
where I come from. I make enough money to get anywhere I want to when the time
is right.”

“Why this?
You don’t seem
like you are a bad guy. So why play that role?”

“Because the beast enjoys it.
When I first
was afflicted I tried to ignore his needs and found myself hurting people
unintentionally and finding myself in danger. The wolf is a predatory creature
that needs an outlet. It needs to hunt.”

“People?”
Bella squeaked.

“No, not necessarily.
I don’t eat
humans, Bella. I’m paid, by bad men, to hurt equally bad men. I don’t make
apologies for who I am. I’ve learned to live with the monster that is inside of
me. But here, in my home, I can just be Elijio.”

“The
man you are is saving my life right now, so I can’t be upset with your way of
life. I know that if I hadn’t paid up then my brother and I would both know
what the bottom of the sea tastes like. Are you sure my brother is safe?”

“No,
I’m not. Is his debt paid? Yes, but your brother seems to be a man that won’t
give up gambling no matter the cost. If that is how he is then he’s bound to
find himself in trouble again sooner or later.”

“He’s
still my brother.”

“And
I don’t want to talk about him and ruin a good mood. So tell me something about
yourself. I know you love to dance, or at least that’s how it looked to me.”

“Why
were you in the club anyway?”

“I
needed to get out. I can’t go out during the day, and there are only a few
places you can go at night and not be looked at as crazy. I may be rich, but it
can get lonely.”

She
watched him as his eyes glazed over. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to
be him. He didn’t know what it was like to have the sun on his skin,
his
skin, any longer. Couldn’t do
something as simple as go to the store because of what he was. Everything had
to be done for him outside of his estate. The same helplessness had brought him
to the club she’d gone to. The same
need to, for a few hours,
forget
the bad world outside. She felt her heart clench. Kindred
spirits, she thought then. Kindred spirits against the world, punished because
of someone else. She reached across the table and grasped his hand, careful of
his claws. He looked at her in surprise.

“We’re
not alone anymore,” she whispered to him and his hand clenched against hers. “I
like to swim,” she said then.

“What?”

“Other
than dancing, I enjoy swimming. It’s something that relaxes me. I love the feel
of the water on my skin, the fuzzy sounds under its surface, and the
weightlessness. What do you like to do?”

“I
can show you better than I can tell you. Since we’ve finished our breakfast,
let’s go. But close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a surprise.
You remember
what those were right?” he said, chuckling and her heart lifted at the sound.
She closed her eyes as he asked, waiting. He lifted her out of the chair and
she shrieked in surprise, opening her eyes.

“No
peeking,” he admonished and she closed her eyes again, laughing. She knew that
this was just a moment in time. That eventually the reality of what she’d done
would come crashing down. Blame it on willful ignorance. She didn’t want to
think of her brother, his betrayal of her sacrifices or her enabling him to do
it. She didn’t want to think about the fact that Elijio was something straight
out of a horror film, and that he owned her body until she repaid him for all
the money he’d spent. She didn’t want to think of anything else, just for a
little while. She needed the break, the peace. And, she thought, so did he.

She
kept her eyes obediently closed as he carried her through the house. She tried
to keep some sense of direction, but it was impossible. Instead she enjoyed the
ride, in his arms, and felt safe with him. His coat was soft against her face
and arms. It tickled here and there in a soothing way and she snuggled closer.

“Any
more of that and you won’t see your surprise,” he said.

“Bought
and paid for. I can still get my surprise. I’m a sure thing and you know it.”

“Hey,”
he said, freezing. “Don’t do that. Don’t color this that way. It may have
started like that but … let’s just take it a day at a time okay?”

“Okay,”
she answered and he opened a door. He put her down on her feet slowly and
braced her shoulders. She could smell the chlorine in the air, and wondered why
he’d made such a big deal about showing her a pool.

“Open,”
he said, and when she did, she understood why.

This
was no ordinary pool. A large, Olympic size pool was in front of her, with an
infinity line to one side where, from floor to ceiling, the wall was nothing
but windows and open space. The woods surrounded this side of the house, giving
the impression of a closed off world. Beside the pool was a Jetstream long
range pool, built to simulate long distance swimming that was larger than what
she would need, but enough to surround someone as big as Elijio. To the right
of the pool was a gurgling Jacuzzi that her aching body was
really
trying to get into like now. Next
to that was a wood paneled room that she assumed was a sauna that could fit at
least six people in it comfortably.
 
Elijio moved from behind her and went to a
wall. He flicked a switch and to the left of the pool, where a raised platform
covered in a pallet was sprayed by moving jets of water.

“What
is that?” she asked.

“A
water massage bed. You can control the spray with a remote control and let the
jets massage you on different settings.”

“You’re
shitting me?” she squealed.

“I
wouldn’t dare,” he said back in mock horror and she giggled at the picture of a
wolfman with his hand over his heart and mouth agape. She laughed so hard she
had tears rolling down her face by the time she could catch her breath.

“Oh
my God, I wish I had a camera. I need to see that every morning I wake up.”

“Happy
I could entertain,” he said, giving her his wolfish grin.

“How
about you get into the pool?”

“You
brought me straight here without giving me a chance to change.
If you can get one of the maids to bring me one?
I have no
clothes here, remember?”

“You
could always get in naked.”

“I
don’t think so.”

“It
was worth a shot. I’d forgotten about your clothes. We’ve sort of gotten
distracted. Hold on.” Elijio went back to the wall he’d flipped the switch at
and depressed a button on a speaker like box.

“Yes,
sir,” she heard Richard say.

“Send
Toby to gather Ms. Thomas’s car from Rave and have him then stop at her home to
collect her clothing for her stay here. Just have him clear out everything she
may need, and then go purchase anything else. Have Mary get her a bathing suit
ready and brought down to the pool area. When Toby returns have him put her
things in my room.” Elijio disconnected the call as she stared at him,
dumbfounded.

“What?”
he asked.

“Why
would you have women clothing, on hand? Why would you assume I’d want to be in
your room? And how would they have access to my things if you didn’t ask me for
the keys?”

“Number
one, you aren’t my first female client, just the first one I ...” he trailed
off, shaking his head. She liked the addition he’d made to the statement,
nonetheless. Otherwise there might have been some furniture moving up in there.

“Second,
you are welcome to try and sleep in the other room. I’ll just come and get you
anyway, and we both know you won’t stop me. So why argue? Lastly, because I
can, and your things were put up for you by my staff, from when we left the
club. They have your keys and, I’m sure, are smart enough to figure out what
goes to what.”

As
he finished a salt-and-pepper haired woman, slightly shorter than Bella, came
in to the pool area. Her black and white garb, much like Richard, made Bella
think she must be the infamous Mary. What she said made Bella know she was
right.

“Sir,
the bathing suit for Ms. Thomas,” Mary said before she handed a bright red
bundle to Bella and left.

“The
restroom is to the left of the sauna,” Elijio pointed out and Bella went to
change. The one piece suit was understated, and yet sexy, with the back out
with cuts out of the sides. It hid her trouble areas and accented her pleasing
features. She loved it, instantly.

“Let’s
play,” she cried, jumping into the water after coming out of the bathroom.
Elijio dove in smoothly, his coat growing slick and lying down over his form in
the water. He didn’t look as big like that. That was until he shook, like a
dog, flinging water in her face. She couldn’t help a giggle from escaping as
she laughed and splashed him back. It only made him shake more. Hours filtered
by, with only breaks to rest on the lounge chairs, or to take a dip in the
Jacuzzi. Elijio told her about his life, the years he’d seen.

“The
beginning was the hardest for me. I was so angry that I was trapped as a beast
in the beginning. I ran away, afraid someone would kill me for sorcery.”

“Sorcery?”
Bella asked.

“Yes, Bella.
Back in that
time anything that couldn’t be explained, or was feared, or didn’t fall into
the
church’s
teaching was considered of the devil. I
didn’t want to be killed. After a decade or so, I started trying to branch out.
The wolf is a solitary creature, but humans, truly, are not. So I started
reaching out.” He ran his fingers over his body as he spoke, and Bella’s eyes
were drawn to his scars.

“The
women turned on you?” He nodded simply at her soft spoken question, ears going
down close to his head. She reached out and ran a hand down the side of his
muzzle.

“I’m
sorry,” she said.

“It
taught me a good lesson. I couldn’t force someone to care about me, and I
couldn’t let everyone know I had the gift. Richard’s family stayed with me,
growing with me. We moved thousands of miles away from my birth home and
started over. I cultivated a new face, a new enigma around who I was. It wasn’t
as hard in America in the later years. I amassed great wealth, and the fear
those had of me? That was useful. It helped me survive.”

It
was nearly possible to wrap her mind around. So much time, alone, with no one
who truly understood him, and yet fighting to keep his baser instincts from taking
over. How evil could he be, truly? She wasn’t sure, honestly, if he was a bad
boy with good boy tendencies, or a bad boy with a heart.

And
part of her didn’t think she cared.

The
way he’d touched her the night before, showed her softness when she’d expected
strength. Sadness when she’d expected arrogance. She hadn’t thought that she
would enjoy her penance for saving her brother. Other than when he’d scared her
shitless by partially shifting in front of her, she hadn’t even cared that she
was here because he’d paid the price for her brother’s life.
That
her debt was, technically, already less by one million dollars.
Money
didn’t make her want to take him in her arms again. The promise of freedom
didn’t drive her to taste his mouth once more. That was desire, pure and
simple, and a healthy sprinkling of an elusive emotion that she was just not
ready to acknowledge.