The Beast Inside. New Version ✔

Chapter 1.

He had been beautiful. A man that had all eyes turning to him. He was good looking and had known it. And he was the one that chose her. He walked past every swooning woman and stopped right in front of her. She had been there with a friend - was only a guest. The art gallery opening had been an amazing first experience for her. She had been out of her element and ever more so when he zeroed in on her. She had stumbled over her words, not used to the attention. He had showered her with plenty. Swept her off her feet in a flash.

Now, those same feet hit the ground running as Natalie tried everything she could to escape. The beautiful vision of a man disappeared replaced by a cold blooded monster. The scenes played over and over in her mind. A gun! The man she thought she loved had had a gun and used it without hesitation. She had seen the glint in his eyes, the joy of being in control. He had reveled in the begging, pleading and screams.

She made it to her house in no time. Pure adrenaline made sure of that. Her vision blurred as she stumbled through the door. Her feet dragged against the gleaming hardwood floors. Blood, it was everywhere. She could still smell it, almost taste it. She steadied herself on the back of her brown suede couch and looked up at the mirror on the opposite wall. She could barely recognize herself. Her blonde hair that was always miraculously straight was wild. Sweat was running down her face and her blue eyes were wide in fear. Her breathing was coming out in uneven pants. When she took a step towards her room, she couldn't control her feet and was unable to stop herself from falling into the abyss of darkness.

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Austin paced back and forth. He was feeling on edge, restless. He wanted to let loose, give up his control, but he knew better. He had to stay hidden. Safe. Unseen. This had been his hideout for a year now and he wanted to keep it that way. If he needed an escape, this was where he came and now was a better time than ever. The abandoned building among many others was the perfect place to hang low.

A woman screams reached his ears, making him freeze. The sensitivity of his hearing told him that she was still a ways off. He felt his control slip. No one should be out here, and if they were, then they were up to no good. Feet slapped against the pavement, sloshing each time they hit the ground because of the rain. He could now hear two sets, one heavier than the other. He picked up hard and uneven breathing, they were getting closer.

"No!" The woman screamed, making him cringe from the intensity.

'It's none of your business. It's none of your business. Just stay out of it.' He chanted over and over again. He felt himself slip more. His control hanging on by a very thin thread.

Another scream penetrated the air. He covered his ears trying to block it all out.

"Please! I didn't see anything!" The woman began to beg.

"You're a liar, Natalie. Tsk Tsk." The confidence in the male's voice had the hair on his back standing up. Anger began to roll off him in waves as he tried to gain back the control that had flown out the window.

"Cole, I promise!" She whimpered. He couldn't take it anymore and made his way to the window. Rain was pouring down, he growled to himself. He had always hated the rain. The woman was sitting on the ground trying to scoot back as far as she could. A tall man was looming above, matching her every move and not missing a beat. It was then he leaned down, punching her in the face, sending her flying to her back from the force.

He felt the beast he kept tame rise to the surface. He tried to fight it but the moment he saw the gun raise the monster broke free. His wings sprung from against his back and his fangs lengthened. He busted through the roof, surprising both man and woman. The male quickly dropped his gun and then scampered to pick it back up.

He flew down with such force, the gun shattered under his weight. Positioning himself protectively in front of the woman, Natalie, he sneered, showing his fangs. The man screamed, turning, tripping over himself as he tried to get away as fast as he could.

The want to follow and end his life was monstrous. It wasn't just a want, but a need. A need for blood. His eyes zeroed in on his prey, everything seemed to slow down. He could hear the blood pumping through his veins. He hissed through his teeth, ready for the chase. The hunt. He smiled.

"Magnificent!"

The one word stopped him in his tracks. He had forgotten about the tiny woman behind him. He took one last look at his prey before taking a deep breath. He willed his fangs to shorten. Turning around, he was able to get a good look at her. She had long, straight golden hair flowing down her shoulders, soaking wet. Her eyes were the color of the bluest seas. She stood up on shaking knees, wobbling a bit. She was short, about 5"2' and looked to be in shock. "Umm, miss?" He tried to take a step towards her, not knowing exactly what he should say to her.

"So beautiful!" She whispered as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Using his heightened speed, he barely grabbed her before she had a chance to hit the ground again. He wrapped his arms tightly around her as his wings retracted to his back.

He looked towards the direction the man had headed and shook his head. The chase was gone. He knew he could hunt the man down, would enjoy it immensely but looking down at the woman in his arms had him pausing. Thinking over every situation as fast as his mind could conjure. If he was to go after the scum of a human being, he would have to leave the woman behind. He stared down at her, unable to look away. He lightly pushed the hair out of her face, noticing the color of her skin was lightly tanned. She had a bruise already forming Cole had punched her, and it looked like she had already been hit before on the other side. Skimming his fingers along the blackened areas, he unraveled his wings once more. The man would have to wait. He quickly flew back into the warehouse and laid her down where he usually slept. Looking her over, a few things ran through his mind. The first and most important one was... What the hell was he going to do now?

AN: So I know I just said i'd start this Next Monday. But I thought it over. Ya'll have already read the prologue! So Here is chapter 1. What do you think so far? The cover, do ya'll like this or the original one better? Let me know what ya'll think!!!!! I'm excited to hear your thoughts!!! 

Much love,

D