Lahat ng Kabanata ng Taken By The Beast: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Piper opened the front door as the sun set, and the beast stirred awake within me. The humid Louisiana air was muggy, and stuck to my skin like slime from the bayou. Piper seemed anxious to get outside. She stepped out onto the front steps, the moonlight brightening her face, and the growing wind blowing her hair around her shoulders. “It’s hot tonight,” she said, glancing around. Her attempt at drawing my attention away from the subject of Priscilla had been kind. Not that I deserved any kindness from the weight of the truth I kept from her. I stroked my fingertips against the back of her arm. She glanced up at me. “Your eyes are changing.” “I feel them,” I whispered. “What does it feel like?”“It’s hard to explain. I never experienced it before this, and I doubt you have either, Little One. It’s like someone trying to see through your eyes, shoving you out of the way, and taking over. You still see, and hear, but it’s far away, like you’re watching someone else.” Piper stood

Waking to find Piper not in the bed with me sucked enough, but I wasn’t shocked. The girl was quiet and light on her feet. When I followed her scent through the house, and I grew closer to my bedroom, my stomach began to twist. Then came the heavy smoky smell of magic in the air. I’d never forget that smell because it suffocated me the night it happened. I thought I would die on the smell alone. Nothing mimicked that godawful taste it left in your mouth. Then to see Priscilla with Piper. I knew when I rounded the corner that today would be the day I lost Piper Sloane’s trust. I hated myself for not telling her sooner, but I was a selfish man that wanted to keep my past in the past, and my sins buried in the ground. But look where that got me. Piper sat at the dining room table, her hands wringing together against the table, her eyes nervous. She expected it to be bad. Which was good. Maybe it wouldn’t sting as bad when I said it aloud. “Please talk before I erupt,” she said,

William called me into his office and shut the door behind him. I loved my brother—adored him for all he did for me—but I hadn’t missed his brooding.It was the equivalent of a Negative Nancy living in your home, always floating around in the background, with some pin to pop your balloon of positivity.He stalked over to his desk, grabbed the newspaper, and handed it to me. I glanced down at the front page and cringed.Father of missing woman hears unknown animal in the bayou near her disappearance site.William’s humorless chuckle floated away as he began to pace his office. I read the article in silence, ignoring William’s banter, and finding out her father was not going to give up. He’d gone back to the police and begged them to search again.Which opened a new can of worms for all of us.Would Piper stay if her family came banging on the door this time?“I don’t understand, Zander,” William’s hostile voice sliced through my reading. “Why would you risk going outside without me her

Piper winced when I slid her dress over her body and tossed it to the floor. Seeing Piper being tossed onto the ground with debris and limbs being flung at her sent my wolf into a frenzy. The worst part was not being able to go outside. Standing in the doorjamb, staring out at the scene unfolding in front of me seared my heart. Knowing William was the only reason she’d been saved pissed me off. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I wanted to be the hero. Because heroes sacrificed everything they loved for the good of mankind. And there was nothing in the world I wouldn't sacrifice for Piper Sloane. I just wanted to be her hero. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, in a thick voice, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”“I’m fine, Zander—,”“You could have been badly hurt, and I couldn’t save you.”Piper fiddled with the button on my shirt. “I thought, for a second, that you were going to step outside.”“I wanted to. I thought about it, and then William pulled

The only sound other than Piper’s light snores was the heavy beating of my heart. I stood in the center of my closet, staring at the glass case that held my heart. Every time I neared the fingers would tighten, and I’d feel a flutter in my chest. Knowing Priscilla, I knew it was for added effect. She hated me so badly that she wanted to remind me of my curse at every moment. As if I could forget. She had died to punish me, and now she wanted to punish me after her death. Sadly enough I understood her desperation. I didn’t have children, but I had love right in front of me, yet so far away. Always right out of reach.Part of me wanted to find someone that could break the curse if it was even possible. Though what would I give up to break the curse? Would it be worth it? The price of magic could cost me the very thing I wanted more than my life. The air around me chilled, but I didn’t move, I kept my eyes on the monstrosity in front of me. I wasn’t afraid of death. I was afraid of be