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.”

got into his SUV and drove the mile to Darrell’s place. He pulled into the driveway and got out. As he was coming up the porch steps, the screen door swung open, and Darrell leaned against the door frame crossing his arms over his

see you. I would have thought you would be balls deep in

got any beer? I need to get shitfaced,”

Darrell sighed as they headed for the kitchen. He took two beers from the fridge and handed one to Stanton, who twisted the cap off. He drank

at his friend. “She doesn’t need

were pissed off that she had gotten to the

serious, man. I’m losing her. I have

why you are so insecure in this relationship. I don’t want to be cruel, but let’s face the facts. You, my large friend, are ugly as fuck. You are a great guy, don’t get me wrong, but

helping,”

Big Guy, I have

get 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 you have her. There can only

that

the laws of the universe. That girl is never going to leave you. 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.

like what Aurora was trying to tell him. It took Darrell to beat the concept in his thick skull that the only reason he could have Aurora at all was that she wanted to be with him. Darrell was right; no

loyal of people can only put up with unfounded accusations before the break and decided o

Darrell’s pep talk. He understood where he

to be taking relationship advice from. God knows I’ve never had one that lasted

never seeing again can be considered a date,” Stanton didn’t know Darrell to date. Sure, he had A LOT of sex but no dates. Stanton had known Darrell a long time, and

is if you have a girl that is loyal, funny, sexy, and willing to kill for you, then you should make that

asked her to marry me. She said no,” Stanton confessed. “You got any great advice on

Marriage is not really my forte. You need to talk

right. He needed advice from someone who had been down the road Stanton wished to travel. He

***

He knew it was late, but 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

Melissa were awake. Stanton put his SUV in park, then got out.

something from the other side of the door. 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

swipe her claws across Gordon’s chest, slicing the front of his shirt open and shredding the flesh beneath. The 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

both Melissa 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

tell you it is rude to barge into someone’s house?”

to his SUV. He stood there, unsure what he was supposed to do in this situation. A

long has that been going

with shame. “A

if Gordon tried, he could put a stop to it. “Why don’t you hit

as Melissa’s gender gave her a free pass to be a raving bitch. “A man never hits a woman, for any reason,

would

ever. My parents taught me never to raise my

“Then divorce her.”

“It’s not that easy.”