Page 3 of Beast: Part Two

I made the hour drive in less than forty-five minutes. I defied every traffic law there was. We pull up to the Victorian farmhouse and park behind the Subaru. The house looks the same as it did the night Beast met me on the sidewalk. As soon as I climb out, Lucien and the others pull up behind me.

I take off the jacket I was wearing and toss it back in my seat.

“How do we do this?” Lucien asks, coming up beside me.

“Front door,” Fem says strolling up to the porch.

She reaches for a flowerpot sitting near the front door. Picking it up, she flips it over, exposing a rotary combination lock. She rolls the dial, and a hidden door pops open before exposing a key. After placing the pot back down, she moves to the front door.

“Hold on,” I tell her. She pauses, looking over her shoulder at me.

“Unlock the door, but don’t walk in. Let Hawk in first.”

Hawk steps to the front of our line. I turn to the others and dip my head. We all take out our guns. It’s not like I plan on killing Beast, but I’m not sure what we will be walking into.

Fem unlocks the door and steps back. Hawk takes a deep breath before opening the door. As soon as he steps in, he ducks down barely missing a blade being tossed at his head. I figured Beast would be ready for us. No one’s senses would be sharper than Hawk’s. We all rush into the house. Beast is standing in the doorway between the foyer and the living room. His shirt is covered in blood. But I can immediately tell he isn’t the one injured. This is going to be worse than I thought.

“Beast, where is Summer?” I ask.

He turns his head slightly, his gaze shifting to the left. It’s as if he’s listening to something in the distance.

“Kill them all. They’ve come to take her,” he says.

His voice is different. It’s deeper than usual. Whenever Beast goes to his dark place, his mother is the one that takes over. In most cases he only replies to her commands. However, I’ve heard him speak in his mother’s voice before when he is truly lost in his haze. This is not that voice.

“That’s not his mother,” Lucien says coming up behind me. He obviously notices the same thing I did.

I take a step forward. “Beast, I need you to reign it back in. Where is Summer?”

Once again, he turns his head to the side in that weird way. “Peel their flesh one by one and burn it in the yard.”

“Ooookaaaay,” Zel whispers loud enough for us to hear. “Is anybody else a little freaked out right now?”

“We do not like this version of brother Beast very much,” Many says in his nasally voice.

Holding up my hand behind me, I try to quiet everyone down. Beast isn’t himself, but he is still our family.

“Son,” I say to Beast. “I need you to answer my question.”

“I don’t think we’re going to get through to him.” Fem points out from behind me. “And judging by the blood on that shirt, we don’t have much time to get to Summer. Nathaniel, if she dies…”

She didn’t have to finish that sentence. I knew what she was getting at. The same thing would have happened to me if Albany would’ve died when Luca shot her. I would’ve lost my mind. However, a mindless Priest and a mindless Beast are two completely different beings.

Thinking quickly, I pull out my phone and call the last number that called me. Beast has been telling us for three months that he’s found his new lifelines, let’s hope that connection still remains.

“Hello?” the soft voice answers.

I quickly put young Gabriel on speaker phone. “Hello, little Gabriel. This is Priest.”

“Hey, Mr. Priest. Are you here?” His excitement at my voice has a thickness forming in my throat. I have to clear it before I can speak again.

I keep my eyes on Beast as little Gabriel speaks. For the first time since we walked in, he’s looking at us.

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Can I come out now? I want to see Hulk and mommy.”

Giving Beast my undivided attention, I refer my last question to him. “Can he come out now, Beast? Your son needs you. Do you hear his voice?” I ask taking a step toward him.

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