Loving The Beast Within (Sequel to Shifting Love)

Chapter 6: Time Is Always Against Us

'So this is your daughter, Xavier. I have heard so much about her. No wonder there is such a big fuss over her. So beautiful,' he whispered the last part in my ear.

'Don't touch me,' I hissed at him.

I tried to shove him away from me, but he reached up and roughly grabbed my wrists before I could hit him.

'I love when they are fiery. Would you like to play a game, Arianna?'

'No.'

'That's a shame,' he laughed, 'Tie her to the desk. I want her to watch this.'

'Let her go, Johnny. She has nothing to do with this.'

'No. She stays.'

Johnny pushed me to the ground and the other two hunters sloppily tied my arms to the legs of the desk. I wriggled my wrists and tried to get out.

'Look at me, Arianna.'

My eyes looked up into the cold, cruel eyes of the hunter; the eyes that would forever haunt me. I then looked over into the warm, loving eyes of my father while they tied him to the bookcase. Oh, how I wished I could save him.

'Don't you dare look away. I want you to watch the life leave his eyes and remember me for the rest of your life.'

Johnny lifted his Bowie knife and with one swift move he stabbed it into my father's chest. Tears fell down my face as I screamed at him to stop. My father never looked away from me the entire time. He just mouthed to me 'I love you and your mother so much'.

After a few moments his eyes closed and his chest stopped moving. He took his final breath and was gone. Johnny and the hunters laughed as they left the room.

'I will be back for you, princess.'

I pulled and tugged at my restraints until my wrists were free. I ran over to my father and untied him. His body sagged against me. I gently placed his body on the ground.

'Daddy, wake up! Please come back to me!'

I tenderly shook his body, but he wouldn't open his eyes. He wasn't moving or breathing. Why wasn't he breathing? He couldn't be dead. He couldn't leave me so soon..

'Wake up! Daddy!' I screamed and screamed at him.

"Arianna, pull out of this. It is just a nightmare."

"No! He is not dead. He is going to wake up," I screamed again, "Don't touch him."

A hand gently touched my shoulder and my eyes shot wide open.

"Dante?"

My hand gripped the sheets on his side of the bed, but they came up empty. I should have known he wasn't there from the nightmare. I needed the comfort of my mate.

Someone next to me sighed.

"He is gone, Arianna. He has been gone for weeks. I'm sorry."

I sank my head deep into my pillow and tried to blink back the tears. The days had become increasingly harder with my mate gone. He left weeks ago, but it felt like eternity without him.

My hands cradled my head. I tried to stop my body from shaking so violently. Dante was gone. In his absence my time became completely consumed with leading our pack. During the day I had barely any time to think of him. At night when I needed a distraction the most, Johnny visited me in my mind and every moment I spent with him took a toll on my health.