Page 7 of Beast: Part Two

“So, you think this Corbyn guy is god?” Albany asks, folding her arms over her chest.

“I have a feeling this god isn’t just one person. Any of you heard of the Royal Crown?”

“I have,” Albany says. “Hawk, you should remember them too. It’s how you found out about Heimlich’s experiment and his daughter.”

Hawk leans up in his seat. “I remember. Brooklyn and I went to the club the night they had that secret meeting.”

“The Royal Crown is a dangerous organization,” Albany goes on to say. “Some of the most powerful men and women in the world run that group.”

“Not only that group,” I add. “But I think the Church as well.”

Silence fills the room once again. After looking over all that I’d discovered recently, I had come to the conclusion that the Royal Crown was the hands behind the Church. I knew they had enough power to have the Church kill for them. That alone was enough to make me believe they were behind everything.

However, the most convincing part was how they all referred to the members of the Church. They thought of us as puppets. Just mindless pawns that could easily be moved around. It was in the way Timothy spoke to me about his transaction with the Church. It was as if we were discussing a business deal. He had a healthy amount of respect in his tone, but no true fear.

The other leading factor was my encounter with Boris and Blue Eyes. Not long after killing those two, I got the call from Maksim and then the attack on Summer.

“How much power are we talking?” Hawk asks, breaking the silence in the room.

“The type to get an excommunication order put on us,” Priest replies instead of me.

“I think my searching for them and killing a few of their members pissed them off.”

“A bit of advice, be careful when you kick a hornet’s nest, when they swarm, they attack everyone around you.”Maksim’s words play back in my head.

“I should’ve listened.”

“Sorry about that,” I say, ducking my head. “I risked your lives, and that wasn’t my intention.”

“You failed,”the sinister voice in my head says.“But I can help you. Set me free.”

A soft touch on my shoulder has me looking up into Priest’s gray eyes. “Don’t start feeling sorry for yourself. This isn’t all on you. We’ve had to be on this group’s list for a while. And you didn’t do anything any of us wouldn’t have done.”

“He’s right, Beast. None of us blame you,” Lucien adds.

“They are liars. Kill them all.”

I swallow and nod my head, hoping to drown out the voice.

“Well, what now?” Albany asks. “Trying to hide all of us forever is going to be difficult. Lucien is good, but he’s not that good.”

In this we all agreed. However, I wasn’t worried about that decision. I had my own plans. I was going to make sure that they all survived this, and it very well might be the last thing I do.

Before anyone can answer, Lucien’s tablet sounds an alarm. Everyone jumps to their feet. Lucien scans the screen in his hands.

“Who the hell is this?” He asks, before flipping the tablet around.

Leaning against a sleek black car not far from Doc’s house is a man with dark brown hair. He’s wearing shades and a long sleeve white shirt. He’s holding up a sign that reads; Hello Beastie.

I nearly snarl as I push away from the wall and head to the door.

“Where are you going?” Someone asks behind me.

I don’t answer as I rush out of Doc’s place. I reach the street just in time to find Maksim leaning up from the car. I’m on him faster than I’ve ever moved before. I have him pinned against the trunk of his car; my hands fisted in the collar of his shirt.

“Easy, Beastie. I’m not your enemy,” he says in that accented voice.

“If you’re not the enemy, then who are you?” Priest questions. I don’t take my eyes off Maksim or the smirk on his face.

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