Grasp of the Beast: Brig Thomson Shifter, #3

Grasp of the Beast

By

Karen See

*****

Copyright © 2016 Karen See

All Rights Reserved

*****

Cover Design by Kelli Neier

Published by Karen See

Table of Contents

Part One: Convergence

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Part Two: Fork in the Road

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Playlist

Part One: Convergence

Chapter One

October

Kai Lucas reached down into the trunk of David Preston’s car and pulled out the small, cheap Styrofoam cooler that contained the finger David had ripped from that odd corpse the previous day.  They hadn’t gone to Louisville to turn the finger in to someone at the Preston Enterprises offices.  David had been too intent on heading towards West Virginia.  He’d decided that they could stop at one of the much smaller offices in Lexington and here they were, bright and early.

The storm had been more intense than anticipated and they’d ended up stopping at a motel a short ways down the road.  The storm wasn’t over, either.  Dark clouds made it feel like it was still night and the lights that dotted the parking lot in neat rows were still on.  It would likely rain off and on all day.

She paused a moment, thinking about those moments on that lonely, winding road.  Brig’s car had been in the ditch, bullet holes puncturing it.  There’d been blood.  She recalled running through the woods after David who’d been running after Brig’s scent and finding David already at that empty house.

What had that creature dead in the kitchen been?  She thought the image of that disfigured monstrous creature was going to haunt her dreams far more than the images of her first glimpse of Brig in shifted form.  She was growing very used to the sight of people in shifted form now, but that creature....

Hurry up, David called out.  He’d rolled down the window and had his arm hanging out of it, drumming his fingers against the side of the car.

Kai lifted the cooler and closed the trunk.  How do you know there’s someone here who’ll get it to him, she asked, stepping to the driver door.

He stared across the parking lot at the front of the building and shrugged.  I just do.

She started to ask for further details, then decided it wasn’t worth it.  David was in a mood this morning.  Fine.  Why don’t you go in with it?

Because they all know me and they’ll want to talk.  You have a better chance of just dropping it off and getting out of there.

Kai sighed.  His refusal to talk to people was a frustrating thing to her.  She’d thought he’d get over that reluctance and start talking to people again, but it was getting worse.  David just didn’t want to communicate to anyone.  Fine.  I’ll be out as soon as I can.

She crossed the parking lot.  As she approached the front door, she glanced at the expensive car that was parked in one reserved spot.  It was a BMW of some kind and from the look of it, it was high-end, with all of the bells and whistles.  She went up the three wide steps and to the revolving door, pushing through it.  Once inside, Kai paused to get her bearings.  Straight ahead was a bank of elevators.  To her left was a closed door and to her right a security desk.  The man there was watching her closely.  Moving towards him, she smiled and set the cooler on the desk, hating how this must look. 

If she were that guard, she’d be suspicious already.  A lone girl brings in a small cooler?  No appointment, no information, and wants it sent to the head of the company....  Was Cole the head of the company?  She didn’t really know for sure.  It would’ve been infinitely better if David had come in here, either with her or by himself.  Kai did her best to project an innocent, non-threatening air. 

Behind the guard was another door, open.  She could see a man’s tall back just off to one side.  Hi.  I have a package that needs to be delivered to Cole Preston.  It’s for research.

The man in the doorway turned and stepped fully into the opening.  Perhaps I’m better suited to help you with that than Mr. Malinowski, he said in a British accent.  He was tall, slim, and very attractive.  His dark hair was cut short, his gaze intensely focused, and Kai felt the strong press of his powers against her.  He was a shifter.  A powerful one.  His suit was immaculate and well-tailored, emphasizing his build, and she was willing to bet the rather expensive car out front was his.

Perhaps, she replied.  "Who are you?"

With a small smile that pulled slightly to one side, he came around the desk and held out his hand.  Sebastian Delevan.  And you are?

Kai Lucas.  She stretched out her hand and took his.  The silken brush of his skin to hers caused a sharp stab of wholly inappropriate desire that startled her.  She hadn’t felt attraction like that in months and had never felt it as a shifter.  It rolled through her body in a surge that was very like how it felt when her beast rushed to the surface of her.  Her beast woke now, curious.  Uncomfortable, she hurriedly pushed that desire aside and told her beast to settle down. 

Sebastian Delevan.  David had mentioned him in passing a few times, but she couldn’t remember much of what had been said.  He didn’t look like he was old enough to be a good friend of Cole’s, but then their aging process still confused her.  She knew those naturally born stayed younger looking a helluva lot longer than humans did and Cole had been grown with a family when he’d been turned.

He blinked, hand squeezing hers.  Surprise flickered in his eyes for just a moment.  Pleasure to meet you.  His hand released hers and she got the impression that he really was pleased to meet her.  What can I get to Cole for you?

She glanced at the cooler then at the guard, who had yet to say one word.

Sebastian seemed to understand, reaching for the small cooler.  He grasped the handle and lifted it.  Let’s go up to my office.  We can discuss the matter further.  It wasn’t a request.  Turning, he strode to the elevator without waiting to see if she followed.

With a last glance at the parking lot through the glass of the front wall, she did follow.  The elevator door slid shut behind them.  Kai suspected this was going to take far longer than David had thought it would.

How are you, Sebastian asked in a pleasant tone.  Mira will interrogate me when I tell her you were here.

You know Mira?  He smelled really good, like citrus, musk, and the barest hint of pine and animal.  A clean, soothing scent.  Kai felt her shoulders relax a little and glanced up at him.  He was watching her with curiosity.

I do.  So?  The doors opened directly into a large office.  How are you?  He went to the desk at the far end, moving with the sort of lithe grace dancers usually had, and set the cooler down before turning to face her.

Fine, I suppose.  The room was bland and forgettable, decorated in shades of tan, blush, and light blue.  Not even the art on the walls was memorable, blobs of color without any real form on the canvases.  It was a rather generic office.

Your training is progressing?

I guess.

Mmm.  He arched a brow.  I can tell you’ve been spending time with David.  He tends to be rather vague in his answers to me as well.

She smiled at that.  I’m sorry.  I haven’t had too many long conversations with people lately.  It’s mostly quick niceties at a grocery store or in the motel lobby.  I guess David’s recent style has rubbed off on me.

Understandable.  It tends to happen when one spends quite a bit of time with another person.

David says my training is going well and that I’m progressing fairly quickly.

That’s good to hear.  Now how about in your own words and not his?  How are you?

The question forced her to think about it.  I’m feeling better these days, like my control is improving.  I don’t feel so much like I’m lost anymore, if that makes sense.

It does.  Would you like coffee while we discuss this package?

David had rushed her out of the motel and she hadn’t had a cup yet, so she nodded.  I’d like that.  Besides, it’d piss David off if this took longer than he’d planned and she felt like pissing him off right now.

Sebastian went to a table that had a Keurig brewer on it with a large display of pods behind it.  There are plenty of choices for flavors.  I think they stock just about every flavor and brand out there on the off-chance I’ll be coming by.  I enjoy my coffee.  Care to pick one or, his glance over at her was almost playful, shall I surprise you?

Kai joined him at the table.  I’ll pick one.  I’m not too keen on surprises of any kind these days.  Plucking a raspberry chocolate one from the holder, she handed it to him.  The touch of his fingers on hers as the pod was exchanged between them was longer than casual, yet not so long as to be inappropriate.

Was he flirting with her?

She realized she could no longer tell when a man was flirting in a subtle way with her and decided she had to be imagining it.  She was merely projecting her own attraction onto his polite manners.  Kai tried to dismiss that sudden ridiculous idea.  He wasn’t flirting with her, not even a little.

But his heartbeat wasn’t calm.  She could hear it when she concentrated.  It was beating fast like hers and the heat surrounding him had increased.

His powers slid around her like a loose hug as he made the coffee, warm and not at all alarming.  It was a nice brush, almost a caress.  She cleared her throat.  Are you assessing me?

A short laugh left him and he picked up the mug, holding it out to her.  Very astute, Kai.  I’m sorry.  May I call you by your given name or would you prefer Ms. Lucas?

Kai is fine.  She took the mug.

Thank you.  He took a different pod, a hazelnut crème one, and started the Keurig again.  You can call me Bastian if you like.  No need for formality if I’m to use your first name, is there?

No, I guess there isn’t.  Thank you.

When his own coffee was ready, he led her back over to the desk and the chairs before it. He leaned over, placing his mug on the far side of the desk beside a stack of folders and a laptop computer.  Please, sit.  When she had, he leaned against the desk, half sitting on the edge.  I’m not formally assessing you.  An assessment is a pack thing, a test given by a pack leader to check the skills and power levels of members.  What I’m doing is a quick and dirty evaluation of the sort of threat you are right now, in this room.

Me?  I’m not a threat.

Bastian’s gaze slipped over her in a slow perusal.  She thought he was seeing more than she even understood.  If you say so, he finally replied with a slight lift of one brow.

Do I feel like a threat?

You feel like you’re a capable young woman.

Evaluating and assessing mean the same thing.

A slow smile curved his lips.  Again, that smile pulled slightly to one side.  They do pretty much.

"So you were assessing me." 

Perhaps.  That smile, warm, amused, and unrepentant at being called out, was lethal to her hormones. 

Kai struggled to keep her attraction in check.  It’d be embarrassing to start stammering and blushing like she had when she was fourteen.  David does it all the time.

"As your mentor he would.  He should.  He needs to be able to notice if something has gone wrong and to rein you in.  You’re doing it as well.  Evaluating.  Assessing."

I am?  She sipped the coffee.

Didn’t you realize?

No.

Has David not covered this with you?

Covered what?

Bastian pushed from the desk and pulled the second chair close to the one she sat in, easing into it.  Think about what you’re feeling right now.  Do you have any feeling at all that you’re in danger from me?

No.  The answer was instantaneous.  She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, unlike most of those people that had been at Cassidy Chambers’ house.  This man wasn’t going to harm her.  She had no doubt at all.  She was safe in this room and with him.  Indeed, she was feeling fairly relaxed and calm in his presence, save her attraction to him.  She knew, instinctively, that he was an ally.

How do you know it?  Think about it.  What is telling you there isn’t any danger from me?  It’s not that I’m not dangerous, because you know I can be, don’t you?  But I’m not a danger to you.  How do you know?

I’m not getting any sense of danger.  There are no red flags going up in my head or alarm bells ringing.  My beast is curious, but she’s not alarmed at all.  It’s like...  She drew in a long breath and blew it back out.  "It’s like a smell.  Danger, I mean.  There’s a wrongness to the scent of someone with ill intent.  You don’t have that."

There was an odd look in his eyes that she couldn’t decipher.  She didn’t know him to know what that expression meant.  It almost seemed like a hunger, which was absurd.  There was nothing for him to be hungry about. 

He relaxed back in the chair, studying her.  Very astute.  I find it interesting that you have such an easy time with that realization because most made into our life never connect it.  They never quite understand the slight changes in scent and what they mean.  He nodded.  David is right.  Your training is progressing rather well.

He’s fond of saying that it’s like I was born for this.

He made no comment, standing and reaching for the cooler.  He didn’t open it.  Where’s David right now?

In the car waiting.

So he sent you in to do his job?

That’s not—

It is.  Believe me, Kai.  I’ve known David a long time.  He has these moments occasionally.  If he suspected I was here, and he probably saw my car out front when you pulled in, he’d avoid me.

Do you own the BMW?

That’s mine.

He was likely right.

He’s behaving like a sullen child and I have no patience for it.  If he doesn’t wish to speak to Cole that’s his business, but this absolute silence to everyone is childish.  I’d tell him that.  He knows it and doesn’t want to hear it and have to face his own behavior.  He doesn’t want to behave like the adult he is.  Now, let’s see what you have for us.  Sitting on the edge of the desk, he opened the cooler, pulled out the baggie and opened it.  At a whiff of the scent, revulsion rippled across his features.  A choking cough left him.  Good Lord, what is this?  He quickly closed the baggie.  It’s foul.

Kai explained, and when she was done, Bastian carefully placed the baggie back into the cooler.  She watched him close it and slide it away from him.

Cole dispatched a team to the location.  The initial report is that there were multiple fires in that area last night.  The house you found this in is gone.  We’ll need to wait for what’s left to cool to finish the investigation.  Thank you for this.  I will make sure Cole gets it.  I’m sure he’ll be raring to study it.

His expression indicated that Cole was more than welcome to it.  We were going to take it to Louisville, but David wants to head to West Virginia.

You should write up an account of what you saw on the road there and in that house and send it to Cole.  Be very detailed, especially in describing the monstrous look of the corpse.  The more details Cole has, the better.

I will.

What’s in West Virginia, he asked, picking up his coffee mug and sitting again in the chair beside her.  He sipped at the coffee.

I don’t know, actually.  I haven’t had a chance to do much more than look up a tourist site that goes by region.

You mean you’re vacationing now?  His brows rose.

That’s what David said he wants to do.

You’re done hunting Brig Thomson?

The question sounded loaded, but why?  I told David it was over.  He’d used a GPS tracker on Brig’s car and with Brig no longer driving it, we have no idea where he is.  Besides, I don’t want to be that person anymore.  I don’t want to think about Brig.  I’ve thought about him too much already.  I just want to move on now.  This staying in a not really living my life place is getting to me.  I’m ready for it to be done.

Not to mention that since he’s no longer considered a rogue, continuing to hunt him would be a dangerous action to take.

Kai turned the mug so that the handle was the opposite way and tried to process that.  She shook her head a little.  Did you just say...?

You didn’t know?  A frown appeared.

No.  When?  What happened?  No longer a rogue.  That was something big if she was understanding it correctly.  She wasn’t sure quite how to process that information.

It was very recently and Cole admitted he’d made a false declaration.

What does that mean now?  She was asking what that meant in regards to Brig’s actions and Bastian seemed to understand that.

It means that if Brig is killed, the person or people involved will be charged with murder.  He can’t be put down because he’s not out of control.  He may have lost it temporarily, but based on Cole’s admission of what he witnessed, Brig likely has control back or is on his way to regaining it.  His voice was gentle.  It doesn’t change the fact that you don’t know where he is.  All it changes is the death sentence upon him.  If he is found, he should be brought in for punishment for his crimes.

Does David know?

I don’t know.  I’d imagine Cole and Mira both left messages.  I’m surprised they didn’t call you.

He never listens to his messages.  He deletes them without listening.  And why hadn’t they called her?  They both knew how important this had been to her.  It didn’t make sense.  Unless....  Kai sighed slightly.  David.  He’d deleted a voicemail on her phone and told her it was a telemarketer and a credit card scam.

Bastian made a noise low in his throat.  Do you have a support team you talk with when you need guidance on emotional matters and things David can’t help with?  Someone you’d feel comfortable discussing your feelings on this with?

Sometimes I talk with Parminder Neroskar and Mira.  Occasionally I’ll ask Cole questions.  All of those calls had become less frequent as time had passed.  Parm was busy with her new job, Mira was busy with beginning of the term matters, and Kai was finding that she had questions she was hesitant to ask Cole or David.  That’s it really.

He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew his phone, setting his mug once more on the desk.  I’d like to exchange contact information with you.  I can give you another perspective on our way of life.  I’m an excellent listener and I’m usually awake at all hours because I do business overseas.  I won’t go running to anyone with things that should be kept private.  Anything you would tell me will be kept in confidence.  I promise.  He unlocked the phone and held it out.  Add your information please.  If you give me your phone, I’ll put my details in for you.  There are quite a few numbers, emails, and residences I use during the year. 

After a brief moment of indecision, Kai gave him her phone and took his.  She was finished long before he was.  When she looked at the list he’d left, her mouth opened a little.  You weren’t kidding.  He’d also added hours he could be reached for each phone number.  This is a very thorough list.

He chuckled.  I am a busy, busy man.  I do tend to travel a lot.  Not as much of late.  Use the first number, email, and address listed for each.  Those are my main ones.  I want you to be able to reach me if you need to.  He slipped his phone into his pocket.  If you want to.  I mean it, Kai.  Don’t hesitate to call or text me.  I want to keep in contact with you.

She nodded, more than a little overwhelmed.  I really should be going.  David will be wondering what happened to me.

I’ll walk you out.  I’d like to say hello to David, see how he is.

Because Mira will ask, right?  She stood.

He did as well.  Well, if I’ve seen you, then she’ll assume I’ve seen David.  I should have something to tell her.

The elevator felt too warm.  The fact that his heartbeat was as crazy as hers was almost comforting.  They walked out to the car side by side and Kai was a little sad when they drove away.  She wanted to see more of Sebastian Delevan and was already looking forward to their future interactions. 

*****

The last thing Bastian had expected at the Lexington office was for Kai Lucas to walk in the door.

He was surprised to find Kai quite attractive and not at all what he was expecting based on the things Mira had told him.  She had a presence and maturity to her, a subtleness with her powers that had made her instinctual evaluation of him enjoyable.  It was a far more pleasant thing than the usual clumsy shoves of the recently born into their way of life.  He almost felt flattered by the gentleness of it and wondered if she was just coming into her instincts.  It did take different lengths of time for newborns to navigate the various core abilities that were common to all of them.

He enjoyed talking with her and was further surprised to discover that Kai didn’t know that Brig was no longer considered a rogue.

How could she not know?  He didn’t think she and David had slipped through the cracks of that information tree, so why didn’t she know?  The logical reason was that David had somehow interfered with her discovering it.

With the way he’d been behaving, Bastian thought that could be the truth.  David was rather childish and immature lately and it had gone on far longer than it should.

He walked Kai out, darkly amused to see panic ripple across David’s face before he managed to hide it.  He was well aware of David’s dislike for him, whether David had admitted it to himself or not.  It had always been there, from the time David was a child, simmering low between them.  Bastian didn’t know the reason for David’s dislike, nor did he particularly care.

David rolled down the window.  Good morning, Sebastian.

Hello, David.  You should’ve come inside.  You could’ve had coffee with us.

Kai got in the passenger side and fastened her seatbelt.

I didn’t think it’d take long.

Kai and I had a chat.  So how are you?  He stepped close to the driver’s side door.  

Good.  I’m good.

I hear you’re heading off for a vacation.

Yeah.  It’s, uh, it’s the plan.

What is your plan?  Anything specific?

I think we’re going to be nomads.  Wander.

I see.  Will you be at Cole’s Thanksgiving party this year?  Cole was trying to cheer himself up over Mira breaking up with him again by planning a holiday party.  As far as Bastian could tell, the strategy wasn’t working.  Cole claimed Mira would come back to him because she always did and was more moody and surly than ever because she showed no sign of doing what Cole expected.  Bastian tried to stay out of it, though he suspected it wouldn’t be long before he was pulled in the middle.

Party?  Um....  Probably not.

Shame.  So you’ll be going to visit Kai’s family then?

David glanced at Kai, who pretended she wasn’t paying attention and was looking through her purse.

Bastian heard David’s teeth grind together.

We’re not sure yet.  Maybe.

Well, make sure you let Cole know you won’t be there.  You know him.  He’ll plan on it if you don’t.

Yeah.

He debated on making the stilted conversation last longer just to make David even more uncomfortable and decided enough was enough.  Take good care of our girl there.  Keep her safe.

Of course.  I will.

He leveled a cool stare at the young man.  See that you do, David.

He paled. 

Interesting.  The David before him was markedly different from the young man he remembered from months earlier, the one who’d brought Mira to him for healing.  He was nervous and jittery, fingers continually tapping on the steering wheel and gaze darting here and there.  Back in January, David had been calm and controlled, with a tight hold upon himself.  There was far less of his restraint showing now.  There was quite a bit of change in him for such a short amount of time. 

It made Bastian very curious about