Pace signaled to his men and they pulled
the guns that Bella had known they’d been hiding under their jackets. Her body
went numb, fear curling through her. Elijio , though,
never looked away from her face.
“Do
you want me to take you home? Are you done with all of this?” he asked her.
“Yes,
please.”
“You
bitch! I’m your family. You’re going to pick some dick over me? You worthless piece of shit. All I ask is for you to open
your legs for millions and you give it to this chump for fucking free. You
could have been a rich woman all on your own,” Nate raged. Elijio roared, stopping everyone.
“You
dare. You little, insignificant bastard, you dare to talk to her that way? I’ll
kill you with my own hands. She’s done nothing but save you, every time, for
years, and this is how you repay her? And Pace, you would challenge me? Do you
want this? You know how it will end?”
“Elijio,
you understand business. I’ve already taken the money. Her brother said it
would be a sure thing.”
“Then
kill him for the trouble.”
“I
can’t do that to Stuart.”
“Then
you can die too.”
Everything
happened so fast around her that Bella could barely process it. One minute she
was beside Elijio, and the next he’d partially shifted and shoved her behind
pallets. She watched between the slats as he went after the men with guns. He
didn’t stop as the bullets punctured his flesh. He tore into them, roaring.
This was the beast, her beast, and he was saving her life.
She
didn’t look away from what he did, not wanting to tarnish his sacrifice for
her. She watched as the men fell beneath his claws, and Pace wet himself when
Elijio turned to him. He couldn’t do more than take a breath before Elijio
gouged his throat and spun on Nate. In seconds all was quiet other than Nate’s
sobs as he begged for his life. Elijio took a deep breath, head falling back
and eyes closing.
“Bella,”
he husked and she stepped from behind the pallets. Now she could see the holes
in his body, the splattered blood as he swayed in front of her. With a cry she
ran to his side.
“What
do you want me to do with him?” Elijio asked.
“Let
him go, he won’t bother me again.”
“If
you ever come back, I’ll kill you. I’ll deal with her anger later, but you will
be dead. Get out of here while you still have the chance.” Nate scrambled to
his feet and ran even as Elijio fell to his knees.
“Elijio,
no,” she cried.
“Shh,
it’s okay. I’m fine. I would have rather lived this life and had the chance to
love you, than to live any longer and have never known you. I should have told
you before, I’m sorry.”
“Please
don’t leave me, stay. Stay with me. I love you too,”
she cried, tears falling but he was gone, his eyes sliding closed and one last,
great breath, easing out of him. She screamed, pulling him into her lap as best
she could and rocking.
“Don’t
go, please don’t go. I love you so much. I can’t live without you. Please,
Elijio!” she dug around in his pocket until she found his cellphone.
“Sir,”
Richard answered.
“Richard,
come find us. He’s hurt. He’s slipping away. I can’t hold him,” she said.
“I’m
coming. Put the GPS option on the phone and I’ll come to you,” Richard answered
and hung up.
“Please,
Elijio. Don’t leave me,” she keened, holding on, her hands slick with his
blood. His body convulsed, shifted and twisted until he lifted out of her arms.
She watched, terrified, as he flickered in and out between the beast and the
man so fast her eyes could barely process until he glowed, a bright golden
color, so bright she couldn’t see. When the light faded he was standing before
her, looking at his body in awe.
“The
curse, you broke the curse,” he whispered.
“What?”
“The
witch said the only way I could ever live as a man again was if I found love,
true love, and love her in return. You couldn’t know about how to break the
curse though. I
the guns that Bella had known they’d been hiding under their jackets. Her body
went numb, fear curling through her. Elijio , though,
never looked away from her face.
“Do
you want me to take you home? Are you done with all of this?” he asked her.
“Yes,
please.”
“You
bitch! I’m your family. You’re going to pick some dick over me? You worthless piece of shit. All I ask is for you to open
your legs for millions and you give it to this chump for fucking free. You
could have been a rich woman all on your own,” Nate raged. Elijio roared, stopping everyone.
“You
dare. You little, insignificant bastard, you dare to talk to her that way? I’ll
kill you with my own hands. She’s done nothing but save you, every time, for
years, and this is how you repay her? And Pace, you would challenge me? Do you
want this? You know how it will end?”
“Elijio,
you understand business. I’ve already taken the money. Her brother said it
would be a sure thing.”
“Then
kill him for the trouble.”
“I
can’t do that to Stuart.”
“Then
you can die too.”
Everything
happened so fast around her that Bella could barely process it. One minute she
was beside Elijio, and the next he’d partially shifted and shoved her behind
pallets. She watched between the slats as he went after the men with guns. He
didn’t stop as the bullets punctured his flesh. He tore into them, roaring.
This was the beast, her beast, and he was saving her life.
She
didn’t look away from what he did, not wanting to tarnish his sacrifice for
her. She watched as the men fell beneath his claws, and Pace wet himself when
Elijio turned to him. He couldn’t do more than take a breath before Elijio
gouged his throat and spun on Nate. In seconds all was quiet other than Nate’s
sobs as he begged for his life. Elijio took a deep breath, head falling back
and eyes closing.
“Bella,”
he husked and she stepped from behind the pallets. Now she could see the holes
in his body, the splattered blood as he swayed in front of her. With a cry she
ran to his side.
“What
do you want me to do with him?” Elijio asked.
“Let
him go, he won’t bother me again.”
“If
you ever come back, I’ll kill you. I’ll deal with her anger later, but you will
be dead. Get out of here while you still have the chance.” Nate scrambled to
his feet and ran even as Elijio fell to his knees.
“Elijio,
no,” she cried.
“Shh,
it’s okay. I’m fine. I would have rather lived this life and had the chance to
love you, than to live any longer and have never known you. I should have told
you before, I’m sorry.”
“Please
don’t leave me, stay. Stay with me. I love you too,”
she cried, tears falling but he was gone, his eyes sliding closed and one last,
great breath, easing out of him. She screamed, pulling him into her lap as best
she could and rocking.
“Don’t
go, please don’t go. I love you so much. I can’t live without you. Please,
Elijio!” she dug around in his pocket until she found his cellphone.
“Sir,”
Richard answered.
“Richard,
come find us. He’s hurt. He’s slipping away. I can’t hold him,” she said.
“I’m
coming. Put the GPS option on the phone and I’ll come to you,” Richard answered
and hung up.
“Please,
Elijio. Don’t leave me,” she keened, holding on, her hands slick with his
blood. His body convulsed, shifted and twisted until he lifted out of her arms.
She watched, terrified, as he flickered in and out between the beast and the
man so fast her eyes could barely process until he glowed, a bright golden
color, so bright she couldn’t see. When the light faded he was standing before
her, looking at his body in awe.
“The
curse, you broke the curse,” he whispered.
“What?”
“The
witch said the only way I could ever live as a man again was if I found love,
true love, and love her in return. You couldn’t know about how to break the
curse though. I
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