Beast Coast (A Carus Novel Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Praise for J.C. McKenzie

  Beast Coast

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Epilogue

  A word about the author...

  Other Books You Might Enjoy

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  Letting my falcon drift close to the surface, my eyesight sharpened. A dark figure moved in the brambles near the deer path ahead of me. About to step closer, something tugged at my senses.

  Come to me, a voice echoed in my head. I froze. An overwhelming urge to walk into the forest on my right consumed my body. I hadn’t felt anything like this since…

  Since I was fourteen, and walked into the forest to meet three feras.

  Sweat beaded on my brow and the bridge of my nose. I wiped it away, while fighting the compulsion to move.

  Come to me, Carus.

  Leaning forward, I tried to locate the animal. A branch snapped, and my attention darted to where the sound originated from. The forest hummed with the sound of summer insects. My heart beat loud and heavy in my chest.

  Underbrush rustled. There!

  A flash of orange.

  Pop! A sharp sting, much like a rubber band on bare skin, radiated across my right butt cheek. I yipped and jumped three feet in the air.

  Whirling around, I found Wick with an ear-to-ear grin and his paintball gun resting over one of his shoulders. If he had a leg propped up on a recently deceased moose, he’d look like a hunter from a photo.

  “Tagged you,” his whiskey voice crooned.

  Praise for J.C. McKenzie

  “Not only is the world [in SHIFT HAPPENS, Book 1 of the Carus Series] well developed but the characters really brought the story home.”

  ~Stacy, Urban Fantasy Investigations

  ~*~

  “SHIFT HAPPENS is a wonderful new book from debut author J.C.McKenzie...It’s not just Andy but the wonderful cast of supporting characters that had me hooked.”

  ~Charlotte Copper, Author

  ~*~

  Achievements:

  First in the 2013 Emerald City Opener Writing Contest

  (Paranormal Category)

  First in the 2013 Southern Heat Writing Contest

  (Paranormal Category)

  First in the 2010 Family Writes Writing Contest

  (Inspirational Category)

  Second in the 2012 Golden Gateway Writing Contest

  (Paranormal Category)

  Second in the 2012 Dixie Kane Writing Contest

  (Paranormal Category)

  Third in the 2013 Golden Acorn Writing Contest

  (Paranormal Category)

  Third in the 2013 Great Expectations Writing Contest

  (Specialized Category)

  Beast Coast

  by

  J.C. McKenzie

  A Carus Novel, Book 2

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Beast Coast

  COPYRIGHT © 2014 by J.C. McKenzie

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Debbie Taylor

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Black Rose Edition, 2014

  Print ISBN 978-1-62830-670-5

  Digital ISBN 978-1-62830-671-2

  A Carus Novel, Book 2

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To Mom and Dad,

  for their unconditional love, unwavering support,

  and for all the bedtime stories, real & made-up,

  they told with passion and “the voices.”

  Acknowledgements

  I’d like to thank my critique partners and beta readers for ensuring my crazy ideas for Beast Coast became one cohesive vision for others to read and hopefully enjoy. Thank you Jo-Ann Carson, Charlotte Copper, Kelly Atkins, J.A. Garland, and Anna Kearie. Your critiques and comments on Beast Coast, whether in part or in whole, made it a better book.

  I’d like to thank my publisher, the Wild Rose Press, Inc., for believing in the Carus series, and the cover artist, Debbie Taylor, for capturing my dream in a fabulous cover design.

  A great big thank you to my editor, Lara Parker, for continuing with this project, and for not running away from my zillion questions! Your help has been fantastic and your edits really polished up the manuscript.

  On a personal note, I’d like to thank my supportive family, my awesome friends, and my wonderful in-laws. Most of all, I’d like to thank my loving husband and son for putting up with my crazy writer ways—I love you to the moon and back.

  An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life...

  “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

  “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

  “One is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

  “The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

  “This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”

  The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

  The old chief simply replied, “The one you feed.”

  ~Cherokee Parable, Unknown Author

  Chapter One

  “You’re Somebody’s Type.”

  Blood Drive Slogan

  Stomach acid bubbled up my throat and settled at the back of my mouth. I stood a yard away from Lucien, the Master Vampire of the British Columbia Lower Mainland, while my feet grew roots into the palace-worthy tiles beneath me. My gut twisted into a hard rock and i
t took every ounce of willpower not to shriek in defiance. The first time I’d been here, Lucien’s goon squad had dragged me down the red carpet of his “receiving hall,” while I expected to lose my head. The consequent visits hadn’t gone much better, but this time, things would be different. I planned to have my debt expunged tonight. I refused to run away like a scared little girl.

  Lucien sat in his big throne chair wearing a dress shirt with the first few buttons unfastened, under an open, pinstriped jacket. Rich black hair fell across Italian good looks as he leaned forward and steepled his hands together like a maniacal priest. The cool night air carried his Vampire scent to me along with the beginning hints of summer, but it contained none of Lucien’s emotions—only death and blood.

  His crystalline voice shattered the heavy silence in the large sterile room. “Andrea. It is a pleasure to see you have recovered from your most recent endeavors.”

  Clint, his human servant who stood beside me, chuckled at the Vampire’s choice of words. The sound rumbled from his broad chest and shook his massive shoulders. My “recent endeavors” involved getting my ass handed to me by a rival master. I might be badass and able to shift into multiple animal forms, but if Clint hadn’t stepped in, I’d have been sucked dry. It almost made me like the guy. Almost. Right now, I wanted to punch him in the throat.

  Wick flanked my other side and essentially made me the bologna of a beefcake sandwich. Standing tall, with blond hair and chocolate brown eyes, his sugar and rosemary scent bolstered my confidence. The Alpha Werewolf of the local pack might have to obey Lucien’s every command, but he had a little thing for me, so he didn’t pose as big a problem. Okay, more like a huge thing—potential mate, huge. We’d spent the last week making out like horny teenagers on his living room couch. No sexy time…yet.

  Lucien reached out and curled his index finger in a “come hither” gesture. I stepped forward, which put Lucien uncomfortably within my personal space. The animals, cohabitating in my head space, screamed at the vulnerability of my exposed back, but I couldn’t turn around and snap at either Clint or Wick. That would mean taking my eyes off two bigger threats.

  Lucien’s second in command and the largest Asian Vampire I’d ever encountered, stood at Lucien’s side. Allan could read every thought running around in my head but for now, he chose to keep the information to himself. A little red blotch stained his crisp white collar.

  “You spilled.” I nodded at his shirt.

  Allan’s eyes shuttered for a second, and then he licked his lips. “A little blood spatter. Does it frighten you?”

  I snorted. “No.”

  Not food, my mountain lion hissed. Not prey.

  Allan shrugged.

  A long silence stretched into the awkward zone. Lucien puckered his lips and waited, losing a little of the scary factor by looking like a runway model—all chiseled cheekbones and full lips. He seemed to enjoy tormenting me, using silence to force me to speak and reveal my thoughts. It worked.

  “My debt is paid in full,” I blurted.

  “I disagree, Andy,” he answered without hesitation.

  Anger coiled up my neck and settled behind my eyes as I tensed. This was not how I wanted things to go. “I did as you asked. You got Ethan’s head.”

  “Ah, but I requested you deliver Ethan’s head. You weren’t the one to present the item, now were you?” He flipped his hand in the air as if what he said held little consequence, as if still owing him was no big deal. I stared at his hands, wanting to rip them off with my teeth. I hated owing anyone anything.

  Taking a deep breath, I tried reason. “I delivered it to your second in command. That’s good enough considering the circumstances.”

  Lucien tapped his chin, feigning deep thought, but I knew he was toying with me. Not nice.

  “It’s semantics, Lucien. Stop pissing around,” I said.

  Lucien’s finger stopped tapping. His face blanked and his eyes vamped out, the irises receding until only the pupil remained. “Not many would dare speak to me so.”

  I jutted my hip out and placed my hand on it. “Well, it’s not going to change your verdict, is it?”

  He shook his head.

  “Thought not.” My heart hammered in my chest despite my bold words.

  Lucien relaxed into his chair. “I will consider your debt paid in full if you stay the rest of the night and partake in our activities.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “No?”

  “No fucking way. I will not stay so you can serve me as an entrée or fob me off to one of your minions. There’s a lot of night left for you to make my life miserable.”

  Lucien laughed. “I will amend. I would like you to stay and no harm will befall you. You will walk out of here as healthy as you already are, or better.”

  “Why?”

  Lucien’s seat creaked as he shifted his weight. “I wish to discuss your future, after I have a quick word with Wick.”

  The Alpha Werewolf shuffled his feet behind me at the mention of his name, probably bracing for whatever sadistic thing Lucien planned.

  “My future is my business,” I said, wanting Lucien’s attention away from my Werewolf. He couldn’t control me, but the same couldn’t be said for Wick.

  “You’ll want to hang around and hear what I have to say, Carus.”

  My eyes narrowed as my heartbeat quickened. Lucien knew my Shifter name. Of course Allan would’ve told him about my abilities weeks ago, but it was more than that. I hadn’t told anyone about being called “Carus.” Only two others had spoken that name to me—one was dead at my own hands, and the other probably sat in his rocking chair right now minding his own business.

  Lucien called me Carus. The twinkle of his eyes and smug smile said he probably knew more about my nature. After all these years of searching, I might learn something valuable. It didn’t matter if the information came from him.

  “Fine,” I said.

  Lucien nodded and I sensed more than saw Clint and Allan move into position behind me. Part of me instantly regretted my hasty decision. There would be a cost for the knowledge Lucien offered, but I’d agreed and the price couldn’t be too high. He’d said “no harm.” I’d walk away from this deal all the way to Wick’s place.

  Lucien shifted his dead, empty gaze to Wick. “Come forward.”

  Wick’s body jerked as the power of Lucien’s order wrapped around him. He walked past me to stand before the Vampire.

  “Kneel,” Lucien said.

  My scalp prickled at the sight of powerful, dominant Wick forced to follow the demands of someone else. Had Lucien’s animal to call been anything other than a wolf, Wick wouldn’t be here.

  “What is Andy?” Lucien asked, his voice low and quiet.

  My head snapped up and my eyes narrowed. Why ask Wick? Lucien already knew, didn’t he? I stepped forward a little, to give Wick some sort of signal to dish all the goods, only to falter when a strong hand clamped down on my shoulder. I looked behind me to see Allan shake his head. Mind speech is out then. Able to read my mind, Allan would report me and I didn’t want to find out Lucien’s punishment for that.

  “A Shifter,” Wick answered Lucien’s question.

  “What type of Shifter? What animal does she turn into?”

  “A mountain lion.”

  My skin itched. I’d never told Wick about my Shifter name. I hadn’t trusted him at first, and then there’d been no time. We’d spent the last week building up trust while I worked through my emotional baggage. Wick might be a dominant Alpha, but he knew patience was more important than pushing too hard, or using his dominance to “fix” me. He respected my boundaries.

  “Anything else you wish to tell me?” Lucien asked Wick.

  “No.”

  Lucien laughed. “I have no doubt you don’t want to tell me anything. Yet, I know you haven’t been a good, faithful dog.” The Vampire stood and glided closer to Wick. “Tell me everything you know and suspect about Andy’s nature. Leave nothin
g out.”

  I cringed in unison with Wick. The words tumbled out of the Alpha’s mouth despite the sweat running down his forehead. “She’s not like any Shifter I know. She has three forms, instead of one—a mountain lion, a wolf, and a peregrine falcon—maybe more. Her animal familiars, her feras, seem to be inside her somehow, which is not something I’ve ever heard of. They aren’t physical animals like other familiars. She also…” Wick hesitated.

  “Out with it!”

  “She also talks about a beast in her sleep. She has nightmares about it. I think she has another form, a dangerous one, and it scares her. Whatever it is, the beast has something to do with how she escaped Dylan’s pack.”

  I stiffened. Wick suspected a lot.

  Lucien’s lips curled up into a smarmy smile while he tapped his chin and listened. When Wick finished, Lucien leaned down to him. “I already knew.”

  “Then why ask me?” Wick bit out.

  “To test your allegiance,” Lucien said, flipping another noncommittal hand in the air. His usually blank face twisted into something unpleasant. “I am not impressed.”

  Wick looked back at the ground. His body tensed. He knelt, frozen in place, and waited for his punishment. Dread shimmered down my body along with the uncomfortable sting of guilt. My need for secrecy and Wick’s need to protect me would cost him. A good servant would’ve told his Master Vampire everything right away.

  “I have the perfect punishment for your disobedience.” Lucien looked up and his gaze slid to me. I caught the gleam in them too late. Hands clasped my arms, holding me in place before I could run. Even shifting wouldn’t make me fast enough to escape Allan’s Vampire hold. My skin tingled at the contact, and my chest felt like a stampede of horses ran around inside.

  “You said no harm!” I shrieked.

  Lucien turned away from me. “And no lasting harm shall befall you.”

  The beast deep within settled in confusion. I took control and hugged my mountain lion close with my mind. Whatever Lucien dished out, it wouldn’t be as bad as losing myself to the beast inside me. It couldn’t be, could it? Whatever happened tonight, I wouldn’t lose control. I didn’t want to hurt Wick.

  Twisting my head around, I gave Allan and Clint death stares. Allan, staring straight ahead, gave nothing away. Did that mean something? Part of me hoped he felt some sort of remorse for his actions. Clint in comparison vibrated with excitement, arousal, and anticipation—the scents sprung up from him and danced around me.