Page 3 of Awakening the Beast
The gunshot echoes violently, the bullet whizzing past his head, grazing his ear before slamming into the wall behind him. His eyes expand, and he instinctively lifts his hand to his ear. I watch in horror as he pulls his fingers away, blood staining the tips. His sharp eyes snap back to mine, narrowing with fury and it scares the hell out of me.
“What the fuck!”
Without hesitation, he charges toward me, his expression darkening with every step. Fear surges through me, and I turn on my heel, bolting the other way. His footsteps pound against the floor, closing in as I race up the stairs.
“Wren!” He yells.But I keep running until I reach the top of the stairs and continue down the long corridor toward my bedroom. Suddenly, a sharp pain slashes through my belly, and I cry out, stumbling against the wall. The gun slips from my grasp, banging to the floor as I clutch my stomach, groaning in agony.
My breaths come out unevenly, trying to compose myself until the pain slowly subsides. I hear the sound of his shoes approaching cautiously behind me and I push myself away from the wall, turning to face him with all the strength I have. He is still a distance away, his gaze fixed on my hand cradling my bump.
“Please, just leave me alone.” I beg with narrowed eyes.
His eyes swing to mine, and he lets out a heavy sigh, “Baby, it’s me, and I’m back.”
My bottom lip trembles while I shake my head slightly, “You’ll never come back. I lost you forever,” I sob, the words creeping out like a confession of all the pain I’ve tried to bury.
“Come the fuck here, and I’ll show you that it’s really me.”
He extends his tattooed hand toward me, and I freeze, staring at it. The room shrinks around me as my wet eyes meet his and he makes a slight nod, gesturing me closer. Panic claws at my insides as my chest rises and falls rapidly, but when I’m finally ready, I use my palms to wipe away the tear-streaked before moving forward.
Once I stop in front of him, he lets his hand drop to his side, clearly realizing that I’ve chosen to ignore it. His strong, intoxicating scent engulfs me, sending shivers through my senses. I lift my hand, my fingers hovering over his lips but the moment they connect, we both draw a sharp breath, our electric connection coursing through me like a drug.
My gaze widens as I lightly brush them over his lower lip, realization crashing down on me. My eyes locks onto his, but they're are already on mine.
“You’re alive?” I whisper through fresh tears.
He stays silent and my doubt quickly morphs into fury, “YOU’RE ALIVE!?” I shout at him, my anger echoing through the vast mansion with raw pain.
He closes his eyes, as if bracing himself for the wrath he is about to feel and when he opens them again, the calmness is gone, replaced by an almost acceptance of my rage. I shake my head, stepping back with trembling steps, trying to create distance before I lose my shit, but he reacts in an instant, grabbing my wrist with a firm grip, stopping me.
In my frenzied state of mind, I raise my other hand and slap him hard across the face. I lock onto his reddened cheek, his jaw clenched tight as his face is turned to the side.
“How fucking could you!”
My hand forms a fist beside me, my long nails digging into my palm. I raise it high and slam it against his chest with all the force I can muster, “You fucking bastard!”
I continue to pound my fist against him, each strike a violent outpour of all the sorrow and frustration that has consumed me since he’s been gone. And he lets me. He stands there, unreadable.
“You piece of shit, how could you? I fucking hate you!” I scream at him bitterly.
His dark gaze suddenly flash with an unsettling glare at my choice of words, and without warning, he snatches my throat before shoving me firmly against the wall.
As I struggle for breath, he dips his face close to mine, “Enough!” he bites out viciously.
I pinch my eyes tight, feeling so confused, “How could you do something like that to us?”
Feeling his grip on my throat loosen just enough to let me breathe again, I look at him. My chest heaves as I fight for control, the rage surging beneath my skin like wildfire.
“Baby,” he murmurs, his tone soft, “It’s not what you think. I—”
“I don’t care what your reasons are, Arlo! You were gone for six fucking months! You left me, you left Cree, and our baby—thinking you were dead! Do you have any idea what the fuck we’ve been through?” I cut him off before he can continue.
His silence only fuels my fury further. The tears burn hot on my cheeks as I feel the betrayal deep in my bones. Every night I spent mourning him, every moment I tried to hold myself together for our family, the business—it all comes flooding back in a brutal rush.
I lean in closer, my face inches from his. “I died along with you in that fire!”
His facial expression doesn’t give much away, but I can see the flicker of hurt deep in his eyes.
“But I’m fucking here now, Wren,” he says, lower and calmer, trying to reign me in. “I’m not going anywhere anymore.”
