Page 94 of Beast: Part Two

We stand there for what feels like eternity. Gabriel cries into my stomach while Maksim continues to inform him he will be with him until the end. I fight my own emotions as I try to wrap my head around the fact that Priest is dead.

chapter Twenty-four

New Allies

Beast

The car ride to the cemetery is silent. It’s been four days since Doc made the announcement about Priest.

The ghost house has not been the same. Many hasn’t spoken a word since that day. We haven’t seen or heard from Seth. Zel has been locked away in his room. Even Hawk has been quieter than usual. And Albany…. I’ve never seen anyone as broken as her.

I’ve been so thankful for Summer and Malia. They both stepped in to handle all the arrangements. Priest had mostly everything taken care of as far as the burial went. He even picked out the cemetery and the plot. But there were a few things that needed to be dealt with, and Summer and Malia were the only ones in a clear enough mindset to deal with it.

“I miss Grandpa Priest,” Gabe says in the quiet car.

I swallow hard. The bond Priest and Gabe formed in such a short time was incredible. I never thought he would ever get the chance to experience the relationship we had with him.

“I know, baby,” Summer says behind me.

“I never got my nickname.”

My heartbreaks even more. I shut my eyes and try to breathe.“You failed them,”the dark voice whispers. “You should have taken the shot. You let them all down.”

The guilt of my actions has weighed heavy on me in the last few days. The demon voice is back. I’ve been trying to talk toAlicia to keep it at bay, but my guilt seems to bring him out. It’s how he came out the first time after Summer was shot. Although no one has said anything to me, I know they all feel it. I know they all think that I was the one with Priest when it happened. I should have protected him.

“Are you well, brother?”

I look over to find Maksim watching me. He’s been doing it a lot lately. I don’t open my mouth to respond. Instead, I dip my chin to my chest.

He turns back to the road before glancing in the rearview mirror.

“Do not worry, little nephew. I will give you a nickname when the time comes.”

I glance over my shoulder to look at Gabe. He nods, but I can tell he isn’t happy about Maksim’s words.

“If his father had done his part, he wouldn’t have to settle.”Fisting my hands in my lap, I shut my eyes to once again fight against the dark voice in my head.

“Who are all these people?” Summer’s voice brings me back to the here and now.

One of the biggest issues we had with burying Priest, was keeping everything quiet. We still had an excommunication order on our heads. But there was no way we weren’t going to bury our father.

Maksim pulls the black SUV to a stop behind the one in front of us. In the car with me are Maksim, Summer, and Gabe. In front of us, Many, Ari, Zel, Emory, and Phoenix who flew back three days ago. Brooklyn, Fem, Hawk, Lucien, Malia, Charlie, and Ms. Reese are in the first SUV.

“Do you know these people?” Maksim asks.

Glancing around at the men and women in all black, I growl.

“Stay in the car, Summer.” I grab the gun at my back and climb out of the SUV.

“Gabriel, please,” she pleads.

Yes, I could be climbing out to my death. But the rage brewing in me right now seeing these members of the Church at Priest’s funeral had me ready to face death head on.

“I got him,” I heard Maksim say. “Stay down.”

He climbs out with me. The doors to the SUVs in front of us open. All my brothers climbed out. I can tell by the expression on their faces they are just as pissed as I am. Maksim rounds the car to my side.

Bishop Gates leads the pack of Church members. Alongside him are three other men that I have never seen before. My brothers and I draw our weapons, aiming them at the crowd.

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