Beautiful Creatures Series

Stanton sat on his couch, staring at the TV. He was watching… well, he had no idea what the hell this was. He hadn’t been paying attention anyway. He sat there drinking and fuming about what had happened. He sat up a little taller when he heard a car door slam. He rose to his feet and walked to the window. Looking outside, Stanton spotted Aurora getting out of Darrell’s truck. He must have given her a ride home after they dealt with the hunter, who he was certain by now had to be dead.

She said something to Darrell, then turned and headed for the front door of their cabin. Stanton took a few steps back as Aurora came in. She paused when she saw him. Stanton couldn’t help but notice Aurora was covered in blood, and he became concerned. “That’s a lot of blood,” he said, finding his voice.

“It’s not mine,” she drawled as she made her way to the washroom. “I need a shower.” He watched as Aurora entered the washroom and closed the door.

She must have been the one to kill the hunter. He was such a fool to believe Aurora ever needed him. She could clearly take care of herself. Stanton walked up to the washroom door and lay his hand against the wood. He was losing her; he could feel it. Sighing heavily, Stanton drained the last of his beer and went to sit on the couch again, idly flipping through the channels. He had to stop thinking about it. The more he pictured that hunter all over his girl, the more wretched he felt.

The shower ran for twenty minutes before he heard it turn off. A few minutes later, Aurora came out wearing just a pair of short-fitted blue booty shorts and a white spaghetti strap tank top with a low-cut neckline and the bottom riding up her solid belly showing off that creamy flat stomach. Her wet hair dripped down her shoulders, and it was easy to tell she was braless.

The sight of her always made him hard. It was crazy how even now, after all that had happened tonight, that all he wanted to do at that moment was bury himself deep inside her. It annoyed him to know that every man in the world had the same urge every time she walked into a room. It got him wondering how many men she had been with? As an ex-prostitute, he knew it was probably quite a few. He hated that fact.

Aurora looked at him and then sighed as her bare feet made no noise walking over to him. She stepped up on the couch cushion next to Stanton and wedged herself behind him, her back against the back of the couch. Leaning in, Aurora wrapped both arms around his wide shoulders and braced her chin on his right shoulder, hugging him from behind like a baby spider monkey clinging to its mother.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, brushing her lush lips over his ear. “I knew I could get to him easier than you could. He never saw me coming. I was trying to protect you.”

“I’m a male,” he growled. “I’m supposed to protect you. That’s the law of nature. You have no reason to stay with me if you don’t need me.”

Aurora moved, rising to her feet behind him. She stepped around in front of Stanton and sat down, straddling him face to face. “Is that what you think? That I am only with you because I need you?” He nodded. “I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone. I have taken care of myself all my life. I’m not with you because I need you.”

“Well, you sure as hell ain’t with me because I’m pretty.”

“Do you know what I see when I look at you?”

“A model for a Halloween mask?”

She snickered. “I see your soul, your beautiful soul. I’ve known enough men in my short life to know that all this,” she said, waving her hand around his face to illustrate his looks, “It means nothing. Some of the most attractive men I have ever met were ugly and cruel inside. You may not be what society considers a looker, but you have a beautiful soul, and that’s what I love.”

Stanton looked deep into her eyes. “Marry me.”

“What?” She asked, standing up. He had caught her by surprise.

“Marry me. Be my wife. Prove to me that we are forever,” Aurora thought about it. “I know I don’t have a ring, but I’ll get one. The biggest rock you’ve ever seen.”

“No,” she said.

“Ok, I’ll get something more practical.”

“No, I mean… no. I won’t marry you.”

Stanton rose to his feet. He didn’t know what to say. “I thought you said you loved me?”

“I do love you,” she shook her head. “But I’m not going to spend the rest of my life proving myself because you have no trust in me. Until you stop perceiving me as property and start thinking of me as your partner, I won’t marry you. You need to get right with yourself first,” she said, walking away. She then turned and walked away. “Now I’ve had a long day, and I’m going to sleep. So, turn the TV down, please.”

and headed for the door. “I’m going out,” he said as he walked out and slammed the door behind him. Stanton got into his SUV and drove the mile to Darrell’s place. He pulled into the driveway and

have thought you would be balls deep in makeup sex,”

any beer? I need to get shitfaced,” he said, walking past

headed for the kitchen. He took two beers from the fridge and handed one to Stanton, who twisted the cap off. He drank half the bottle in one shot while Darrell watched. “I’m sensing that something may be

his beer and looked at his friend. “She doesn’t need me,”

here I thought you were pissed off that she

losing her. I have to re-evaluate

You are a great guy, don’t get me wrong, but God damn, you got a face that scares small children and grown men alike. Aurora, though,” Darrell sucked in an excited breath and then whistled, “Holy Mother of Sin, that girl is so fine a man would crawl naked across broken glass on his belly just to catch a whiff of her

helping,” Stanton

have

to

out of your league you two could have galaxies between you,” Stanton growled again, “BUT… she chose to be with you. This girl, who I have no doubt, could have any man in the world: rock stars, politicians, billionaire playboys, fucking Batman… and she chooses you? An ugly as fuck, a blue-collar construction worker living in a one-room cabin in the woods. The odds of that are astronomical. Yet it happened. The laws of the entire universe were designed to keep a girl like that out of your reach. Yet

that

Not for anything. I can see that when I look into her eyes. She is yours in this life and the next,” Stanton smiled as he looked down into his drink. “And it is not because she needs you. Love is not about one carrying the other. It’s

lot like what Aurora was trying to tell him. It took Darrell to beat the concept in his thick

drive her away. Even the most loyal of people can only put up with unfounded accusations before the break and decided o do the crime they have already been unfairly punished for. If she leaves you, it will be your fault. Don’t drive away a great thing because you don’t feel

talk. He understood where he

person to be taking relationship advice from. God knows I’ve

a date,” Stanton didn’t know Darrell to date. Sure, he had A LOT

girl that is loyal, funny, sexy, and willing to kill for

me. She said no,” Stanton confessed.

Marriage is not really my forte. You need to talk to someone older and wiser than myself. Someone

been down the road Stanton wished to travel. He needed to talk to

***

Gordon. Ever since his own flesh and blood parents died, Gordon had been like a second father to Stanton. He supposed Gordon was a father figure to a lot of the younger pack members. Most Lycan kids were orphaned at young ages. Gordon took them all in. Gave them a safe place and helped guide them into adulthood. Gordon was more than just a pack leader. Gordon

the lights in the house were on. It meant Gordon and his wife Melissa were awake. Stanton put his SUV in park,

Someone was screaming and judging from pitch and tone. It was Melissa. Then Gordon yelled back, and Stanton jumped when he heard what sounded like a

gashes in Gordon’s chest were deep and severe. A human man would have had to go to a hospital to stitch them, but being a Lycan, Gordon would heal himself in a day or two with no scars or

and Gordon. They both looked at him. Gordon looked like he’d gone ten rounds with Muhammad Ali. He looked as if he could hardly stand upright. Melissa looked fine but furious. That’s when it hit Stanton. As strong as Gordon was, he was a victim of domestic violence. Stanton didn’t understand how

tell you it is rude to barge into someone’s house?” Melissa snarled. “Get

unsure what he was supposed to do in this situation. A moment later, Gordon came out of the house and

How long has that been going on?”

with shame. “A long time,”

her do that?” He said let because Stanton was sure if Gordon tried, he could put a stop to it. “Why don’t you hit her back?”

gave her a free pass to be a raving bitch. “A man never hits a woman, for

would understand in

ever. My parents taught me never to raise

“Then divorce her.”

“It’s not that easy.”