Heart of a Beast

Chapter 14 | Part 1 - Tiberius

"Cris, you have to eat," her mother scolded her at dinner time when she refused food.

All she could keep down was chicken noodle soup, and even then, she ate very little of it and had to force herself to eat.

When it was eleven-thirty, Alpha Jackson and Beta Justin arrived to take them downtown.

"Have you ever been downtown before?" Alpha asked Tiberius.

He shook his head, having never left Arizona until last year.

"It will overwhelm your senses, but we'll be as quick as we can."

He and Crystal were given matching black cloaks—his just barely covering his large frame—and they headed out.

The city was buzzing with life, even though it was close to midnight.

The dark-tinted windows of their black van slipped through the illuminated streets and he couldn't help but stare in awe at the skyscrapers. There were no stars to be seen overhead, but there were lights everywhere from the lampposts to the windows of the tallest buildings.

The noise grated against his ears and the street odors made his nose wrinkle, but he held Crystal close, her back against his chest and his arms wrapped around her shoulders as she leaned against him, taking deep cleansing breaths in an effort to remain calm.

A large church loomed before them and they pulled into the driveway that led to the parking lot behind it. They waited only a few seconds for a figure to emerge from the darkness and climb into the vehicle before leaving.

The man sat across from Tiberius and Crystal in the back—dressed in a long, black trench coat with skin as dark as the night and his head shaved clean. A long scar ran down his cheek, from the tip of his high cheekbone to his jaw and dropping down another two inches along his neck. He reminded Tiberius of his mother and the scar she wore proudly on her face.

Alpha introduced the vampire slayer as Darnell.

"You best watch your back, lycan," he said. "The Underground don't care much for your kind."

Tiberius stared him down as Crystal's heart pounded a bit harder for a few seconds before calming down again.

"Stop messing with him, Dar," Justin said.

"I'm not. Just telling it like it is."

They turned down a dark alley and down a cement tunnel. A door must have closed behind them as the noise from the streets dimmed.

Darkness engulfed them, save for the headlights of their van as they continued to travel down.

A parking lot opened up and their vehicle pulled up to a woman sitting on a fold-out chair, knitting.

Justin rolled down the window and greeted the woman. They exchanged a few words before she pulled a wand out from her pocket and stepped aside. Pointing the tip at the wall, she uttered a few strange words before the wall disappeared and another tunnel opened up.

Rolling up his window, Justin drove them down the tunnel. Flaming torches lit the way along the cement walls before opening up to another parking lot. He circled around to the other end of the lot, passing by thick iron doors guarded by two stern-looking men, before pulling into an empty space and unlocking the doors.

"Welcome to the Underground Market," Justin announced. "Don't talk back to the trolls and don't touch anything. The witches tend to put spells on all their products to ensure nothing gets stolen. Always ask them about a product and let them handle it."

"Are we buying anything aside from a cure for the lycan?" Darnell asked as he climbed out the back door.

"His name is Tiberius," Crystal mumbled, a hint of irritation flickering under her tone as she climbed out after him.