The Beast Within (Book One of the Changes Series)
A Piece of the Puzzle (Part 18.2)

I didn’t know what I was hoping for, but that didn’t change the fact I had hope. Maybe everything would work itself out, and there was a chance we would be able to go back to our lives. I held my breath in anticipation. “I will get on that as soon as—Yes, as I said earlier, Danielle is doing marvelous—Umm, yes, I believe she can take care of the matter herself. Thank you, sir.”

Who was Nathan taking orders from? I was relieved to have him here, but I couldn’t help but be apprehensive of the situation and his involvement. I continued to watch Nathan quietly from the leathered couch as he dialed another number. This time he didn’t bother making eye contact with me. My ears perked up when it was apparent Nathan heard someone pick up the other line.

“Lu Ann this is Smith. I need you in my office ASAP, with the collar in place. No—You’ll find out what is needed from you once you arrive.”

I couldn’t make out her response, but I could hear her pixilated tone. I didn’t have time to tune my reception before I heard Nathan hang up.

My brain felt as if it would pop out of my head. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling, fear or anger, probably both.

“She’s coming up here?” I anxiously asked.

“Yes, Master Romulus wants you to right the wrong that has transpired against you.”

“What? how am I supposed to do that?”

“Do what comes naturally.”

He started towards the double doors of his office, seconds before I sensed her approaching. How did I know it was her? I couldn’t help feeling as if I was unprepared for our face-to-face introduction.

I didn’t have any time to dwell on my unease before Nathan swung open the doors, and there she stood, looking like a rejected army pirate with her eye patch. Her brown hair was in a tight ponytail, and her army fatigues were fitted to her like a second skin.

Her panicked expression told volumes. Apparently, she had no idea what was going on, or how close her life was to ending, or how I was supposed to be the one to end it.

When push came to shove, I wasn’t sure if I had what it took to get it done. I knew I had already dealt with a couple of the Corrupted, but that was different. They were actively trying to kill us.

Didn’t Lu Ann do the same by putting us in there with them in the first place?

“Nathan, what’s going on?” asked Lu Ann.

“Why don’t you ask Danielle? I’m pretty sure she has the answers to your questions.”

Her gaze met mine. Her expression now only held contempt. What did she have to be angry about? I hadn’t done anything to her yet, and she deserved whatever horrid thing that was coming her way.

Lu Ann was the reason Porsha was barely clinging to her life. It was Lu Ann that taunted us, starved us. It was also her orders that sent us to our deaths. Still, was it fair to blame her for everything that has happened? Because it would be so temptingly easy, but she would only serve as a scapegoat. With her death, my guilt would be eased, or so I hoped. Maybe that was her role.

My pain turned into righteous anger as my body started to tremble. A feral disconnect from my humanity was tingling to be freed. Lu Ann looked as if she wanted to unleash as well. Instead, she stood perfectly still, never relinquishing her hateful stare.

Nathan broke the silence, “Lu Ann, give me your collar. I’ll give it back if you win. If you don’t, you’ll have no need for it anyway.”

Her mouth broke into a sinister smile, “It will be my pleasure, sir.”

The urge to slap the smile off her face quickened my dark friend unraveling into a frenzy. It was ready to prove what it was capable of to Nathan and me. I watched as she walked past me to hand over her metal ring. I swore her conceit rolled off of her, invading my personal space. My dark friend wanted to make her pay for that intrusion.

Nathan’s eyes burned into mine as she started back towards me. He didn’t have to say it. I knew I had to win this fight. Only one of us would survive.

Before Lu Ann came in here, he said do what felt natural. Why did this feel so natural?

“So, are we going to do this, or have you given up already?” she heckled.

Lu Ann’s transformation had already begun. Her slow contortion into her primal self sounded in my ears as clothes’ ripped off her. The eye patch she wore was last to go, snapping off as a silver-colored ball protruded out of her eye socket before falling to the floor.

My panic built as I continued to watch her transformation. Why wasn’t I changing? The anger I felt was still boiling over, but there was no outward evidence of it.

I sensed the growing danger in the cave and the rest happened naturally, but now I was just standing here like a lamb ready for slaughter.

My eyes darted around the room, desperately looking for something to trigger my transformation, but I found nothing.

Where was my dark friend when I needed it? If the dark presence in me didn’t rise to the occasion, I had no chance. I’d come to an uneasy peace that it was a part of me, but I’d never been able to fully handle myself. How was I supposed to manage my supernatural existence any better?

I was fooling myself; I couldn’t do this. Nathan had to get me out of this. My head turned, looking over at him.

Nathan’s stoic stance and icy glare showed no signs of unease or worry. He didn’t feel like my Nathan, and it made me question whether he still thought of me as anything at all.

His eyes shifted from mine, alerting me once more to the other presence in the room as he stared at Lu Ann. I kept my eyes locked onto my husband, noticing his deliberate breaths and apparent desire. Had he forgotten I was standing here?!

Fucking livid, I broke eye contact, looking back towards Lu Ann. There was now a snarling beast where the militant woman once stood.

Taking in a deep whiff of the surrounding air, I was amped by the sensations that made their presence known. The fierceness of Lu Ann’s hunger and the itch of her bloodlust, but her inferiority was the most intense. My rage seemed to spike even higher. Did she really think she had any claim to being more than I was? Any claim on what was mine!

I glanced quickly at Nathan. If I wasn’t careful, I would forget whom I was supposed to kill in the room.

A violent quiver took over my body as Lu Ann slowly started towards me. Why was she moving so slow? Lu Ann had to know that I would be easily defeated if she attacked me now. Maybe it was all for show.

The room’s atmosphere continually changed as I did, vibrating with new life that made everything around me robust, animated even. Lu Ann was almost on top of me. The pain continued to play throughout my body as my transformation continued. My hands were distorted into elongated, gray nodules with razor-sharp claws. Instinctively, my arm raised before swiftly taking the first swipe.

Lu Ann and I seemed surprised as I made contact, cutting into her flesh like butter. The rush I felt was almost orgasmic. I didn’t revel long before I went flying across the room. My body cracked against the solid wall. The pain was almost too much to bear, but I didn’t have a choice but to stand. Lu Ann was on her way, and Nathan kept watching. Would he really let her kill me?

Maybe.

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