Loving The Beast Within (Sequel to Shifting Love)

Chapter 10: The First Chance

The loud rumbling of the truck engine woke me up the next morning. I was no longer in the truck bed with my mate. Instead I was leaning against the window in the passenger seat next to Cooper.

I twisted in my seat to peek through the window into the back of the truck. Dante was still in his wolf form. He was growling and snarling in his sleep, unconsciously chewing on the metal chains that bound him.

I turned back around and began to stretch.

"When did you put me back up here?"

"He woke up about two hours ago and almost attacked you. I had to give him another tranquilizer and put him back to sleep."

I gazed out the window to see the familiar Shadowlands forest rapidly passing by us. We were almost back to the pack house.

"Did the others wake up as well?"

"Scott and Keith had to stop an hour ago to put down Teague and Nathan. Alphas can burn off poison faster than most shifters. Dante will be awake in no time. We need to get back to the house as soon as possible. We are all out of darts."

That was definitely a problem. If Dante woke up before we returned there was a good chance he would escape. The chains wouldn't hold him for long and he could easily break out of the truck. We couldn't let that happen.

We turned into the long driveway to go up to the pack house, but it was too late. Dante's breathing flattened and I knew he was no longer sleeping.

"Hurry up, Coop. He is awake."

"How do you know?"

"I am in tune with his breathing. He is not asleep, trust me."

Cooper opened his mouth to give me a smartass response, but bit his tongue when Dante rammed his body against the side of the truck. The whole truck teetered on its wheels.

"He is going ot break the goddamn truck."

"Cooper, we can't allow him to escape."

He rammed his body into the sides and the truck teetered again. He wasn't going to stop until he got out.

"Get out of the car now, Ari before he tips us over," Cooper ordered me.

I didn't hesitate as I shoved the door open and jumped out. The second my feet hit the ground the truck tipped towards me. I let out a shriek before jumping out of the way.

My heart was in my throat. The windows shattered all around me and the metal cage of the truck crunched into the ground. Dante growled from the back so I knew he wasn't hurt. I scrambled to my feet and ran to the other side to check on Cooper.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw him sitting on the ground, still alive. Blood dripped down his forehead and there was a long cut across his forearm. A shard of glass from the window stuck out of the wound.

I reached out to help him but he shook his head.

"I'm okay, Ari. You need to get to safety before Dante breaks free from the chains."

"I am not leaving him."

"If he gets out he will not hesitate one second to rip you to pieces. Now go inside!"

I narrowed my eyes at his tone. Dante didn't appreciate it either. He loudly growled to assert his power.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you."

Ignoring his apology and advice, I walked around to the back of the truck where the angry Alpha pushed through the back. The chain was still firmly around his neck, but the metal strained to keep him under control.

Fear pulsed through my veins as I took small steps towards him. He turned on the spot when he noticed me and rushed at me. Each snarl was like a dagger to my heart. This wasn't the man I knew. This was a monster, a beast.

"Easy, Dante," I whispered.

I wanted to run to him and throw my arms around his furry body, but I wasn't a fool. Cooper was right. Dante wouldn't waste a single moment before attacking me. I was now a stranger, an enemy, whether I wanted to be or not.

He pulled his bottom lip back and his ears flattened against his head. I needed to distract him while Cooper and Logan unlocked his chain from the truck.

I pursed my lips together and whistled his favorite melody. It was a song his mother used to sing to him. He sang it to me on one of the first nights we spent together. The melody was soft and calming. His ears perked up and I knew the song was registering in his mind. He tilted his head to the side and watched me.

While he was distracted by the tune Cooper unhooked him from the truck. He pulled the chain hard to get Dante's attention. His response was a loud snarl. He turned away from me and focused on his friend.

I watched in pain while they dragged their Alpha through the backyard to the metal cages that were set up in anticipation of the dangerous wolves arrival. Teague and Nathan were already locked up in their prisons, much to their dismay.

These were special cages made out of silver and titanium. It was nearly impossible to break out of them. Dante had a small chance with his Alpha strength but it would take weeks of wearing it down. Hopefully he wouldn't need to be in there that long.

"What now, Alpha?" Keith asked.

I stayed silent for a few moments to collect my thoughts. I had absolutely no idea where to go from here. These three were clearly given higher doses of Walter's serum. Theo was still chained to a pike a few yards away but he calmed down since yesterday.

The three in the cages in front of me were more out of control than Scott and Theo appeared a few days ago when we found them.

I inhaled deeply. Dante's scent wafted through my nostrils. A calming sensation crept through my entire body. I knew what had to be done. Nathan didn't have a mate and Teague's rejected him. I had to turn Dante back so he could command the others.

My feet carried me to the cages. Cooper reached his hand out to stop me from getting too close to Dante's cage but I shrugged him off. I had to do this.

My lips pursed together and I whistled the tune again. His wolf stopped snarling and allowed me to approach him.

When I reached the cage door he growled a little as a warning but made no movement to attack me. His ears perked in intrigue and his fur no longer bristled in anger.

'Dante.'

He didn't like that. His growl grew louder and he pushed me out of his mind. This wasn't going to be easy but I wasn't going to give up.

'Dante. Stop.'

The forceful command cut his growl off. Not because he was listening but because he was surprised by the power emanating from me.

'Sit.'

Surprisingly he sat down.

'Shift.'

He didn't like that command. I knew that was probably pushing my luck. His fur bristled back up and he snarled at me. I fell to the ground when he tried to attack me through the cage. The beast he fought daily to suppress was finally in control. My sweet Dante was gone and replaced by an angry beast.

"Ari," Cooper tried to comfort me but I didn't want to talk to anyone.

"Leave me alone."

I gave Dante one last look before running into the woods. The fear of defeat crept into my mind. What if I could never get Dante back? Scott turned with a few simply commands from his Alpha female and the caress of his mate. My mate wouldn't let me anywhere near him.

After a few minutes of running through the woods it began to rain. I slowed down. In front of me was a glistening pond splattered with raindrops. The grey skies and torrential downpour matched the dark feelings inside of me.

My mate meant everything to me. He was my whole life. These two pups growing inside me needed their father. I had to get him back. I was willing to do whatever it took to get them their father. Walter took mine away from me. I wasn't about to let him take theirs. This was war.