Taming Of The Beast - 17. Chapter 17

He felt like he couldn’t breathe like he was in some kind of nightmare that just wouldn’t end. Everything he’d worked for, everything he’d buried was coming back to haunt him. After months of hell, months of torture, and what seemed like forever, he just couldn’t catch a break. Everywhere he turned now, all he saw was darkness wrapped around his neck like a noose. His time was running out; he knew that he had been running from something he couldn’t outrun. This was not something he could ever outrun, not unless he wanted to live. The darkness that was inside him was calling to him; it had been quiet for too long; it had scared him once he’d welcomed it. Trevor had reminded him that there was nowhere to run. If his ex could find him, that meant that they weren’t far behind.

Darkness, he was afraid. He was afraid of himself. Fearful of the kind of hell he knew he was capable of. Bastian wanted to scream, he wanted to yell, he wanted to break out of his own skin anything to stop himself feeling like this. Anything to stop the pain he’d been used to.

He stood on top of the tallest skyscraper watching the humans go about their business, oblivious of the darkness that lurked beneath the veil. The darkness they had been protected all of them from. Bastian had been grateful that the Creature had allowed him this. Allowed him time to deal with all they had learned. He could feel it within him, The Creature never far and yet always watching through his eyes.

Protecting, bidding his time until the next time that he’d need him.

“I’m running out of time, Derek. It’s so sad that it took Trevor to convince me that running was never going to work.” Bastian stared at the darkness, aware that his brother had only just joined him. He had smelled his scent even before he’d stood behind him. Bastian had spent way too long with his brother to spot his scent. The smell that had rescued him from something even he couldn’t save himself from.

He didn’t turn around to face his brother; instead, he just waited, waited for the great Crown Prince Derek to utter something smarter than what he’d been thinking. His elder brother had always been more intelligent than him, probably because he’d depended on him to lead him out of the darkness. Bastian couldn’t remember a time he never needed his brother. When he was young, he’d needed him to rescue him from the Royal responsibilities, and when he had been taken, he’d needed him to save him. To save him from the monster, he knew he could become. Bastian had always needed his brother, and now it seemed like he’d always need him to rescue him from falling into a pit of darkness.

“You were not running, never running, you need to understand that,” Derek whispered as he walked towards Bastian. “We are one of the most powerful species in the world, Bastian. You are not running out of time. I refuse to believe that this is it. I refuse to believe that this will be your end” Bastian looked at his brother after he finally sat beside him on the ledge “−our end.”

Bastian wanted to cry, how sad was it that after everything he had thought he had worked through, after everything he’d thought he’d buried, this would finally break him. He was angry, full of rage, and he knew that if he focused hard enough, he could do severe damage “Trevor said they are building an army, my army or at least trying to.”

“I know. I talked to him. He is scared, Bastian.” Derek sighed, making a point of not looking at his younger brother.

Bastian knew though, he knew that Trevor’s fate was sealed. It was one thing to betray the monarch but conspiring against the Prince; it was something unforgivable “You killed him.” It wasn’t a question.

Derek leaned his head to the side flashing his brother a somber smile. “It was a punishment. He should have known better.”

“How much did he tell you?”

“Enough to know that Luciana is seething, she wants her pound of flesh, and I’m going to give it to her. She is a good soldier. A good Guard and she is upset, you left without telling her where you were going.” Derek nodded before he narrowed his eyes at his brother “Mason is worried too, I had to talk him down from ripping apart the entire town to find you.”

Bastian winced at his mate’s name “You met him, what do you think about him?”

Derek was silent for a few seconds before Bastian felt his brother’s hand around his shoulder “He is going to be good for you. He will save you where I could not. He will love you and will protect you from others, even from yourself.”

“He fears you,” Bastian said, looking at his hands as if they held the world’s greatest secrets “I can see it in his eyes when we mentioned you.”

Derek chuckled, “I know, but it is that fear that will make him a warrior worthy enough to stand with us. He is right for you, Bastian. He is who your destiny lays.”

He buried his face in his hands, he was tired, exhausted all he wanted was to sleep for a thousand years “It is because I know that he will be good for you that I think it is time you told him. He needs to know what he is getting himself into. How far this battle will go and how far we are willing to go to end it.” His brother’s voice was soft against his ears. He knew that he was scared, there was nothing that Derek didn’t know “How far the Guard will tear into the universe to stop the brutality and to save you in the process.”

“What if he can not handle it?” Bastian hated himself asking, but he couldn’t stop himself. He felt like he was judging his mate’s abilities.

Derek shook his head, not even entertaining the idea. “He can handle it.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“He was there when I spoke with Trevor.” Derek smirked, “He may be a werewolf, but if fate had made him a Lycan, he would be a good Captain of the Guard.”

Bastian couldn’t help feeling proud, Mason had done what each and every person he had ever dated had only dreamt of. The Crown Prince’s stamp of approval “Father will like him.”

“Mother will adore him and drown him in love.”

“He will be loved by all and adored by many,” Derek told his brother. “The Vampire Kingdom will adore him. They will lay down their lives for him.”

Bastian groaned at the thought, “The only opinion I care about is that of Bjorn and no one else’s. It is the blood of his mate that runs through my veins.”

Derek nodded in understanding, “He will approve, do not worry yourself, brother.”

“Derek, It has been six years, six months, and six weeks since you rescued me from them. If I was human, I’d be sure I was cursed.” Bastian whispered.

Derek laughed, “Humans and their superstitions. 666, the mark of the devil. You are not cursed, and we are not human.”

Bastian nodded, “How do I explain to Mason that I have an ancient vampire’s blood running through my veins? How do I tell him that I’m considered a progeny and a leader by the Vampire Council because of said blood? How do I explain that the vampire whose blood runs through my veins is none other than Bjorn’s mate, the greatest and most powerful vampire to come ever to exist. Vashon wasn’t just anyone, he built everything that today’s vampires think is theirs, and that includes the brother that betrayed him because of jealousy.” He asked his brother.

“You start at the beginning,” Derek answered, grinning at his younger brother looking down at the ground beneath them. Derek knew that Bastian knew what he was thinking “Let’s explore the town, shall we? Act like humans for the night.” He said before he stood up, waiting for Bastian to follow suit. He didn’t need to say anything else before he jumped.

********

Bastian smirked once they were inside the bar and safely out of earshot. They were at the far corner with a good view of everyone. Bastian smiled once their drinks arrived, giving the human waitress enough of a tip that she would leave them alone.

“I sent Eli and Tris after the doctor,” Derek said after he’d taken a sip from his beer, Bastian watched as his brother inspected the beverage.

Bastian nodded, of course, his brother would send the two most psychotic Lycan’s to hunt down a human doctor, “Eli will want to bring her in a body bag.”

“He is nothing if not creative, but so is his sister. Tris knows to bring her in alive.” Derek defended.

Bastian looked at his brother “They’ll torture her before they bring her to us.”

Derek gave Bastian a dark grin “That’s what I’m counting on.”

Bastian raised a brow before he lifted his drink up between his lips, taking a sip, he shook his head, trying his best to school his features. Eli and Tris were going to hunt the doctor down like an animal. They were nothing if not relentless, they wouldn’t stop. They were among the best of the best within their ranks. Bastian knew that the unfortunate doctor would be dead if she did something stupid while at the twin's care. They may have been Lycan’s, but cold, brutal, and methodical made them dangerous.

“Hello gentleman, is everything alright?” Both Bastian and Derek turned to the voice, a human, strawberry blonde, a broad smile.

It was Derek who spoke, “Everything is alright, thank you.”

They watched as she walked away to the bar, “She’s pregnant.” Bastian whispered, turning away.

“Two months.” Derek continued taking a sip of his beer.

Bastian nodded, fishing his wallet out of his back pocket. He pulled out all of the hundreds in his wallet before expecting the same from his brother. They were immortal creatures, but they knew how much it took to raise a child alone, how difficult it would be for her. “We should go,” Bastian said finishing his drink

Derek stood up, making his way towards the bar in search of the women, they were glad that she had been alone. Bastian gave her a small smile before he handed her the wallet that used to belong to Bastian. Inside was all the money they had, Derek handed her the note before they both turned from her walking out the door.

They were almost around the corner when the woman came running for them, the hug was unexpected but welcomed, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Derek smiled.

They were about to leave once again when they heard her voice. They had to do a double-take before they understood what it was that she had said “My name. It’s Zola”

“Nice to meet you, Zola.” Bastian dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Take care of yourself and the little one,” Bastian whispered to her, aware that she hadn’t been aware that she had been pregnant in the first place. They watched her walk into her bar before they were gone.