Beautiful Creatures Series

Aster rolled over when she smelled bacon. She lifted her head from her pillow and noticed she was in bed alone. Climbing out of bed, Aster put on a robe and made her way to the kitchen, where she found Tyler cooking up a storm in his underwear. It was a nice sight. Aster snuck up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She pressed her body against his back and lightly nipped his shoulder.

Tyler leaned back in her embrace and smiled at her over his shoulder. “Good morning, beautiful.” He picked up a slice of bacon from the plate next to the stove and offered it to Aster over his shoulder. “Bacon?” Aster snatched it with her teeth and stepped back, allowing him to finish what he was doing. She sat down at the table, and Tyler brought two plates with stuffed French toast, bacon, sausage, and fresh fruit. He then went back to the counter and filled two mugs with hot coffee, and brought them to the table, placing one before her as he sat down.

“What, no morning sex?” She teased.

“In time, beautiful. Breakfast first.”

She began to eat and noticed he was just sipping coffee and watching her. “What?”

“How’d you sleep?” He asked.

“Fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why do you ask? Did I do something last night?” She asked, worried. Her eyes scanned his body for any fresh wounds.

“You got a little growly.”

“Did I hurt you?”

“No. I calmed you down.” He said, sipping his coffee once more. “The other night, you wanted to talk about something? It wouldn’t happen to be the reason you get so aggressive while you sleep, would it?” She didn’t want to answer him. “I risk my life every time I go to bed with you. Don’t you think I at least deserve to know why?”

She wasn’t sure she didn’t want to tell him. A lifetime of silence was a hard habit to break. Even now, after death, her mother tortured her. “My mother died recently.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. She was a bitch. My father killed her. He’s in prison now.”

“That’s horrible.”

“He’s not in prison for killing her. The world doesn’t even know she is missing. My mother was a vicious, violent woman. My entire life, she would attack my father. She would beat him until he was almost dead. Which for a lycanthrope is very hard to do. She would do it right in front of me. So many times, she would get mad at me; over ridiculous things. It was like she was looking for any reason to hit me. When she would, my father would intervene. He would put himself in her path and redirect her wrath from me to him. My father is a strong man. He could have taken her, but he never lifted a hand against her. He firmly believed there was never a good reason to strike a woman. He would never fight back. He would just let it happen. It was horrid. My childhood home was a war zone all my life.”

“No one should have to live like that. I’m sorry it happened to you.”

“My father and I are very close, and it is hard on me having him in prison. My father is not a bad man. He did kill the man he is in prison for, but you have to believe me, it was only to protect his girlfriend and their unborn child. My mother didn’t take it well when my father finally left her. She took it even worse when he started dating a human woman and got her pregnant. He was starting his life over, and my mother couldn’t stand it. She sought out this man who wanted to kill my father’s girlfriend for reasons that are not important at the moment. My father had no choice but to kill both. She drove him to it. In one night, I lost my mother and my father.”

“That has to be hard.”

“People always talk about how children who grow up in violent homes become violent. Children of abuse become abusers.” She looked into his eyes. “I am so scared of becoming my mother.”

“You’re not going to.”

I have done

hurt you deliberately. This,” he said, gesturing to his healing

kill you. Unlike my father, you do

know your mom is dead now. She

to kill me. No matter how hard I fight back, she

that explains the fight reflex you have when you sleepwalk. It’s just a dream, Aster.

“It feels real.”

is easier said than done, but you have got to let it go, or she is

dad was right. Telling you did make

said with interest. “You talk about me with

face. “By the way, he intends to kill you when he gets out, but he doesn’t get

interviewing your dad. Let me see. He’s that leather, tattooed, biker hard ass that owns that tattoo parlour in

“Yes. That’s him.”

I know how to deal

a dad like mine. My Dad is an alpha. That means he’s not just a leather-bound tattooed hard-ass biker… he’s a leather-bound tattooed hard-ass biker with fangs, a jaw with the crushing strength

He cut a piece of the toast and lifted it to his mouth. “I think your Dad would like me.” He took

do you

my way in under your skin like a tick until

her mouth and reached for another strip. “So… how about

You made

it’s a

you, baby, but I

“Why not?”

same reason, I don’t

confused. “Wait, why don’t

suspended without pay until the conclusions of IA’s

what happened?” She

police brutality charges against the station and

hit the guy?” He must have had a good reason. She didn’t think that Tyler was the

looked her dead in the eye, and she could see nothing but concern. “He

have a lot of

do you think I should do

sure we will

***

considered her his girl. While she went to work during the day, he would keep surveillance on Dennis even without the benefit of his badge. Tyler simply didn’t trust

he found himself going to his parents to supplement his income. He had been under the investigative eye of Internal Affairs for four weeks before they finally closed the investigation. They deemed that he had abused his authority, and much to his dismay, the department paid out a settlement to Dennis, who was out on bail until

put it in his permanent file, which would follow him for the rest of his career. It would also haunt him in the courtroom. Every case he worked in in the future would have his actions under scrutiny, and all his past cases were