The Beast Within (3 page)

Like the others, this figure wore a long brown cloak, hood pulled back from his face. Connor was sure he never met him before, yet he seemed somehow familiar. Like he’d known this man his whole life,

He was taller than most men. A square jaw and straight nose with light wrinkles around his eyes gave him a noble appearance.

Connor was mere feet away now, preparing to maneuver around the group, when the stranger’s eyes changed from brown to a vicious red. His eyes were the most terrifying thing Connor had ever seen. They were half human, half something else. The man moved towards him.

Connor couldn’t stop himself. His forward momentum was too great. The strange man opened his arms and rushed to meet him.

“It’s time to stop running!” the stranger yelled, waking Connor from his nightmare.

The next morning, Connor had to force himself to concentrate on something other than his dream. He took his normal morning run, this time opting to skip the trip to the forest, and jog around his neighborhood just to be safe.

He threw himself into work at the shop, moving fifty pound bags of fertilizer, stocking cinder blocks, and sweeping every square inch of the store. His mother couldn’t help but notice.

“Connor, are you all right?” she asked.

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you haven’t stopped moving since you got here, and if you sweep the floor any harder, you’re going to start digging a hole.”

Connor relaxed his grip on the broom. “Sorry, there’s just a lot on my mind.”

“I understand, sweetie. Things with Katie can’t be easy right now and with all you have to do before you leave for college, I know things can seem a bit daunting.”

Connor bit his lip. He hated lying or even telling half-truths to his mom. He knew if he told her his plan of staying in town she would force him to go. It was better to tell her in a few weeks when there would be no possible way to do a late registration and he would have no choice except to stay.

Instead he just gave his mother a hug, “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll be fine. Really.”

That night, as Connor prepared to meet Laren for dinner, he wondered why he was so attracted to her. Of course she was beautiful and witty, but there was something else, a force that drew him to her and he didn’t know why. He hadn’t even felt this way about Katie when they first met. These thoughts of Laren led him back to his dream as he dressed for dinner. He tried to clear his mind.

He put on a pair of clean jeans, a dark grey button-up dress shirt, and perhaps a spray too much of his favorite cologne. His generosity when applying cologne proved true as he was forced to roll down the windows in his truck or suffocate in the fumes of Axe
.

On this cool Tuesday evening, the downtown plaza was busy as usual. Bright lights welcomed customers to enter the cozy shops for their annual summer sales.

Spotting the restaurant, he recognized Laren’s new black BMW, parked his truck beside it, and walked inside.

Inside, the aromas of French bread, pasta and marinara filled the air. The walls were decorated with black and white photos of Italy and Italian families. They told stories of pride, love and joy. The lights were dimly lit to add to the atmosphere, and Frank Sinatra’s familiar voice sang quietly in the background.

Entering the lobby, he saw Laren scanning the photos on the wall. She was wearing a black cocktail dress that hugged her feminine figure perfectly.

“I was just thinking, I don’t know that we’ve actually shaken hands yet.”

Laren turned, her green eyes twinkling. “You know, I think you’re right.” She extended her hand. “Laren. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Connor, and the pleasure’s all mine.”

A hostess soon ushered them to an intimate booth and provided menus. Sitting across from Laren, Connor couldn’t help but realize how little he actually knew about her. This was to be expected, since they just met the previous morning, but still he felt that he should know more, that he needed to know more. Connor would never be called a ladies’ man, but he was a decent conversationalist when he felt comfortable, and lucky for him, Laren wasn’t the shy type.

“So, Laren, I know you’re here on your father’s behalf. Is that your full-time job?”

Laren responded in a relaxed fashion with an answer that sounded well rehearsed. “I’m lucky to be part of a family that has been in New York for generations. My ancestors were smart enough to buy land in the city and the surrounding areas. As a result, property and business management has long been the family profession.”

“Being so close to your family must be nice.”

“It has its pros and cons. You met my brother. I love him to death but he’s not the most social person.” Changing the topic, she returned the question. “And you, Connor? You look like you’re close to your mother. From my limited interaction with her, she seems like a wonderful person.”

Connor smiled, reflecting on how fortunate he was to have such a loving parent. “She’s the strongest person I know and has always been there for me.”

“And your father? Does he work at the shop as well?”

Connor shifted his gaze to the white tablecloth. “I never knew my father, he left when I was a baby.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Connor. I didn’t know.”

“Please. There’s no way you could have, and besides, tonight we’re just getting to know each other. So tell me, what is that emblem on your necklace?”

Laren shifted her eyes down and gently cupped the tiny bronze trinket in her hand just like she had done in the forest. “It was a gift from my father, a token passed down from my ancient ancestors. It represents our family crest. My family and I are descendents from landowners that originated in early Rome. The symbol is our house sigil. It stands for strength, honor, and family loyalty. My last name is Abelardus, Latin for ‘noble strength.’”

“That’s so cool. I mean, to be able to trace your heritage back that far. I don’t even know my father. Is Lu your only sibling?”

“Uh, no… I have a younger brother, who’s… who’s off at school.”

Connor could hear the hesitation in her voice when she spoke about her family, so he decided to redirect the conversation. “And I’ll throw out a guess. You’re probably my age, eighteen, and going to college to study—” He looked her up and down. “Cryptozoology.”

Laren’s eyes widened and she stifled a laugh, “What? Cryptozoology? No, I’m an economics major at—at a private university. I’m out for the summer helping my family with business and I’m—I’m nineteen, but you were close.”

During dinner, Connor had the feeling Laren wasn’t used to talking about herself or her family. The way she paused before explaining certain aspects of her life and the carefully chosen words she used to describe her family made Connor wonder if there wasn’t more to the story. Soon Connor couldn’t contain his thoughts and his intuition had to speak.

“I’m just going to throw this out there; you’re not used to talking so much about yourself or your family, are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the way you hesitate and the look of concentration you get on your face when you talk about your family. It’s like you’re scared you’re going to give away a national secret.”

Laren paused for a moment. Just long enough for their efficient waiter to clear their plates and ask if they needed a dessert menu. Taking their orders, the waiter nodded in approval and scurried off.

“You’re very intuitive, Connor. Most people don’t give it a second thought when I talk about myself or my family, but you’re right. I’ve been raised to be very discreet when discussing personal affairs. There are competitors out there that would love to get some piece of information to use against us.”

“Well, Laren, you can rest assured that I’m not a spy or saboteur and I won’t bite. I’m just a harmless guy trying to find out more about a new friend.”

She gave him a genuine smile, not a smirk or a grin, but a smile that showed relief. “Thank you, Connor. It feels good to be able to talk to someone. Between school, family and family business, I don’t get a lot of time to just talk to a friend.”

“Right, your family’s not big on you going out with anyone outside of their circle of approved suitors.”

“My family is very traditional and thinks they should have a hand in choosing who I do or do not go out with.”

“And, it seems like they choose all the wrong ones,” Connor said, finishing her thought.

“The exact wrong ones.”

The rest of the night went quickly over cheesecake and fresh raspberries. The two moved to less serious topics like sports, hobbies, and places they had travelled. If the physical attraction Connor already felt toward Laren wasn’t enough, once out of her shell, Laren was one of the easiest people to talk to. Connor loved hearing about her likes and dislikes, the way she scrunched up her nose when she disapproved of something, and the dramatic way she rolled her eyes when she was about to laugh.

By the time the final plate was cleared, the two had talked for almost three hours.

“Wow, the time just flew by. Connor, wait, I’ll split the check with you.”

Connor hadn’t hesitated for a moment when the waiter brought them their bill and he held it close to his chest. “I got it. You’re a visitor to our town, and with the way my mom talks about how great your family’s been, it’s the least I can do.”

“That’s really nice, but please, I insist.”

“Nope.” Connor hugged the bill closer and signaled for the waiter. “Unless you can take it from me, I’m going to pay.”

Laren seemed to consider trying to take the check for a moment. “Okay, you win. I don’t want to cause a scene or hurt you.” She winked.

Making their way through the busy restaurant and into the lobby, Laren suddenly stopped. Her happy carefree smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of concern and suspicion. Her brow furrowed as she cautiously looked around.

Before Connor could ask her what was wrong, the two were greeted with a friendly yet edgy, “Hello.”

Turning toward the stranger, Connor was greeted by a well-dressed man. He was average height and build, his slicked back black hair was perfect, and his crooked nose gave him the look of an old-school gangster.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, Larentia,” the stranger said. Connor picked up a slight German accent.

Laren turned into the same stoic woman he had first met in the forest, the business-minded female he was introduced to at his mother’s shop. “Hello, Randolph. If I had known you were coming to dinner, we would have saved you a seat.”

“Please, Larentia, we both know you don’t mean that.” Turning his unnaturally bright blue eyes on Connor, he continued. “How very rude of me not to introduce myself. I am Randolph and you are?”

Sensing the tension, Connor decided to ask questions later and instead extended his hand. With a less-than-genuine smile of his own, he introduced himself. “Connor Moore. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Randolph.”

Randolph’s hand felt cold and clammy, like a long dead fish.

Upon embracing Connor’s hand, Randolph studied his eyes as though searching for something, not simply meeting his gaze, but rather trying to answer a question. “Very interesting.”

Releasing his grip, Randolph turned to Laren. “Larentia, the company you choose to keep these days is, is—” he paused, searching for the word. “Unusual. Why, what would your family say if they knew you were publically associating with a hu—”

Laren hastily cut him off. “Perhaps you should be less concerned with whom I choose to spend my time and focus on your tardiness. As I recall, you were absent for a prearranged meeting.”

“Yes, you are right and I do apologize. My family chose not to attend the meeting because that would mean we are open to negotiation, which we clearly are not.”

An awkward pause passed between the trio, Randolph’s unnatural blue eyes locked on to Laren’s emerald green. Just as Connor was about to break the uncomfortable silence with a hasty good-bye, Laren spoke. “I’m sure you’re eager to continue your night so we won’t be keeping you any longer, Randolph.”

“Yes, do have a good night, my fellow Beastia.” Turning to Connor, he whispered, “And to you, Mr. Moore. Do choose your friends wisely.”

With a few strides he was gone, leaving dozens of questions in his wake.

Connor looked at Laren, and for the first time, he saw her worried. It seemed as if she was overwhelmed. Her mouth moved to speak but no words came out. Instead she gave her head a slight shake and looked at Connor apologetically.

“It’s okay, come on.” Connor gently took her hand in his and led her outside.

The night was cool. The shoppers that had lined the streets that morning had given way to couples and families out for dinner. The sky was clear and numerous stars shone down, tiny lights battling for their place in the darkness.

Connor walked Laren over to her car, the two still silent. He positioned himself with his back to her BMW so he could look at her face to face. His heart went out to her, she was a picture of distress and doubt. She didn’t have to open her mouth, yet he knew what she was thinking. She was worried. She had to know he had so many questions from their run in with Randolph. Things had gone so well, too well, at dinner. She had even opened up to him about her and her family, but now there was a new set of questions, harder questions, that she might not be ready to explain.