The Dark Monster (A Full Moon Mercy Novel) (shifter / MC romance) Read online

  Welcome to the world of FULL MOON MERCY.

  This isn’t just a book about a MC… this is about a brotherhood, a group of men who share a bond not just within the MC, but within their souls…

  They’re men. They’re beasts. They are… FULL MOON MERCY.

  Don’t miss a Full Moon Mercy book!

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  THE DARK MONSTER

  A Full Moon Mercy Novel

  The role of VP for the Full Moon Mercy MC has never been this hard for Lucas Trowwer. His true love, Leah, is barely hanging onto life after being struck by a bullet that wasn't meant for her. The birth of a child is about to extend the bloodline for the club, and if that isn't enough to handle, Lucas is losing trust in the MC's President as dead bodies begin appearing in Mercy with cryptic messages carved on them.

  Whether as man or beast, Lucas has to learn how to keep calm, even when the truth comes forward. A bigger war is on the horizon, and the club is definitely not prepared to fight it together.

  It soon becomes apparent that the lives of everyone he loves is in immediate danger and Lucas may not be able to save anyone this time...

  1

  The smell of fresh air was almost as good as the smell of fresh blood. He stood so close to his enemies he could lick the air and taste them. This, however, wasn’t about starting the actual war rather than ensuring it would start someday soon. Time could only give a man - or beast - so much before feelings became too great to handle.

  Standing outside in the dark he sniffed the air again and could smell it all.

  He could smell her.

  He could smell it.

  It made his body feel different, something he never felt before. For some reason it felt as though his mind, his heart, and other parts of his body were connected as one, yet it wasn’t for the wild urges to seek relief with a woman. It was the urge to simply satisfy one woman.

  Turning, he faced a brick wall and put his hands to it. They were shaking. He rested his head against the wall and stared at his feet. He took deep breaths, and the heavier the breaths became, the more it sounded like growling. He needed to contain himself or else he’d wind up in really big trouble. This was enemy territory and his presence came with an actual purpose.

  Making fists and seeking just the smallest of relief, he punched the brick wall. The bricks cracked into dust, leaving two holes in the side of the building. For all he cared, he do it again and again, until the damn building gave way and crumbled to the ground.

  The back door opened letting out a flood of loud, thudding music. Two guys and a girl came stumbling out, laughing. He stiffened and watched, smelling and sensing the connection between the three. It was pretty obvious, even without heightened senses. These two guys wanted a chance to take home the woman. One night to sell as no regrets which would certainly bring plenty of regrets the next morning.

  He quickly noticed it was a woman who had taken to him inside the club. When she saw him, she moved from the two guys, who both took out cigarettes and lit them.

  “There you are,” the woman said as she threw her arms around him.

  He hugged her and smelled her. Her sweat was sweet and seductive, along with other places on her body that enticed him. Of course, the two men puffing on their cigarettes couldn’t smell any of what he could smell.

  “I thought you left me,” she said as she touched his face.

  “Just came out for some air.”

  “Hey, since we’re out here,” she said and smiled.

  Her lips were then against his. She kissed fast, hard, and nervous. This woman didn’t like rejection but had suffered enough of it in other places of her life that her body was her only way to accept herself and feel good.

  The woman was beautiful.

  Her tight body, pretty face, big eyes. Natural curls bounced when she walked, much like her heavy breasts that pushed out of a shirt that was definitely a size or two too small. These were all basic things he noticed, let alone the depths of her soul that she had no idea he could see into. Under different circumstances, he would have taken this woman for a night she would never forget. Her life could have changed after tonight, in so many ways.

  But this wasn’t about his instinctive pleasure tonight.

  He accepted her kissing though, loving the way her sweet, drunk tongue swirled around in his mouth. He stopped the kiss by holding the woman by the shoulders and keeping her at length. She tried to step and giggled, being flirty, but there was no way she could ever beat his strength.

  “Are you with anyone tonight?” he asked.

  “Just you,” she said.

  “What about your friends back there?”

  “They followed me,” she said. “They want to… whatever. Men, right?”

  “Am I not a man?” he asked with a grin.

  “You’re a real man,” she said. “The kind I want to go home with.”

  The true answer to this was No, I’m not just a man… I’m also a beast… the kind you’ve never seen before other than your nightmares.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said, “but I have something to take care of right now.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She looked ready to cry. He sensed her emotions. This woman was a mess. She would have definitely been fun in bed. But at least someone inside the club would find her, drunk and sobbing. They’d hear her story of how nobody loves her and how she needs a night to forget it all. She’d get her night and some guy would get her.

  It was win-win.

  But for now, he needed to focus on what needed to be done.

  “Why don’t you go inside and get us some drinks?” he asked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He handed it to the woman.

  She took the money and her eyes grew wide when she saw how much it was. “Are you rich or something?”

  He touched her face. “I’m everything. Never forget that. Now go inside.”

  It amazed him how power and money had a way of controlling people. The woman looked at him with bigger, even more curious eyes. She was really turned on by the power and money. It was sad, but it was expected. Humans knew nothing of true freedom. Of the deep burning and calling to become a beast. They only had money and possessions to attempt to make them feel alive.

  When the back door shut, he stepped forward and looked at the two men. One tossed his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. Embers jumped and died quickly. The other man took a deep drag and blew the smoke. It went directly at him, an obvious sign of some kind of pathetic dominance.

  That’s when he decided these two men would be perfect to send a message.

  “What are you looking at?” the man asked, tossing the still lit cigarette.

  The cigarette came at him and with the swipe of his hand, he caught it. It burned but he could ignore the pain. The shock on the man’s face was enough to make the pain worth it.

  “What the…” the other man asked.

  “Go back inside,” he ordered the first man. “Trust me.”

  “I’m not leaving,” the man said. “I’m not bailing on my friend.”

  He nodded and opened his hand. The cigarette fell to the ground, still smoking. He went to the first man and grabbed him by the shirt. He drove him to the wall, landing hard against the building with a thud. The man opened his mouth to cry, but nothing came out.

  Something hit him in the back of the he
ad, drawing his attention from the breathless man.

  It was the other guy. The tough guy.

  He turned and threw an elbow, connecting with the man’s face. This made the guy stumble back as he screamed in pain.

  Inside, the DJ turned up the music and the club was thumping. Nobody would hear what was about to happen.

  It was perfect.

  With his hand still on the first man’s shirt, he turned and threw the man with all his strength. The man left his feet, screamed, and then connected with a wall. It was enough force to easily break bones, including snap his neck. The guy was dead before he hit the ground.

  That’s when the other man realized this was something real. But it was too late. The man started to run, calling for help.

  Giving the guy a few steps, he then jumped into the air and felt the freedom as his body changed from man to beast.

  He chased the guy down in a matter of seconds and pounced. He bit the back of the man’s neck, drawing blood and muscle. It tasted so good. So damn good. It took a lot of strength and will to not keep going and devour the dying meal in front of him. He simply backed away, on all fours, his mouth open, blood and saliva dripping from his mouth as he breathed deep, trying to control his urges.

  The man took only a couple minutes to bleed out and die.

  He walked to the man and used his long snout to roll the guy to his back. With his teeth, he tore the shirt off the man. Now it was time to finish the job.

  To write a message to the men and beasts in Full Moon Mercy.

  It would be written on a human body, in blood.

  2

  Lucas rode along the long road that cut straight through the Oreno territory with the grip so tight on his handlebars he feared he would drop the motorcycle and shift into a wolf. From there, if that were to happen, it would only result in a bloody, hellish mess. Lucas knew he stood on an edge he never had been on before. Riding through this territory felt like nothing short of treason and an obvious symbol of weakness to the Oreno crew. There were always eyes upon Lucas and the guys in Full Moon Mercy when they passed through. The tension was thick as fog and if it weren’t for what waited beyond the Oreno territory, he would pull out a gun and start shooting. He’d shoot every one of the assholes in the Oreno crew, just as one of them had shot his love. His Leah.

  From the corner of his eyes he saw Cooper and Ian riding alongside him. They sped up by him and then slowed. Cooper waved a hand and motioned for the side of the road. They were far enough beyond the town that it was okay to pull over.

  Cooper led and Lucas and Ian followed in line. They stopped the motorcycles and cut the engines off. Lucas took his helmet off and looked at Cooper.

  “You okay?” Cooper asked.

  “Yeah, why?” Lucas replied.

  “You slowed there. Like you were going to stop or you died out.”

  Lucas looked back to the road. His heart swelled and ached. There was a second side to visiting Leah right now that pained him almost just the same. That was the woman he had gotten pregnant, Debbie, and the fact that she was very close to giving birth to what would be part of a bloodline in Full Moon Mercy. The problem was that Debbie was human and the only person who could help with the pregnancy was Dr. Aldis Carane, a weird guy that lived way off the radar. Sending Debbie to Dr. Carane was supposed to take the pressure and worry off Lucas’s shoulders. Now, he had to see Debbie more and more, and it only served to confuse him.

  “Shit, bro, what’s going through your head?” Ian asked. He stepped off his motorcycle and pulled out a pack of smokes. He offered Lucas one.

  Lucas took the cigarette and looked at Ian. “You really give a shit about what’s going through my head?”

  Ian laughed. “We’ve had our problems, Lucas, but we’re close enough to care about each other. You look ready to snap, my man.”

  “I am,” Lucas said. He lit the cigarette and took a deep drag. He exhaled and said, “I just want to fucking tear something apart.”

  “Maybe you should,” Cooper said. “Maybe we can work something out.”

  “No,” Lucas said. “I have to learn how to control it, man. I’m VP to the club. I have to prove a point and show the way around here, right? If we all lose our minds, that’s what they want.”

  “Who?” Ian asked.

  “All those around us, man. They want us to go crazy and fuck up. They know how well protected the town of Mercy is. They would give anything to run through the town and destroy it.”

  “So what do we do?” Ian asked.

  “We finish our smokes and get back on the road. I have to see Leah. I have to touch her. Hold her. Tell her I love her. Then we have to say goodbye to one of our own.”

  “Shit,” Cooper whispered.

  The three men fell silent.

  Seth had died during the making of a deal with the Oreno crew. He had been driving a box truck full of bodies as an offering to the Oreno crew for use of their roads. The Reckingdune crew set up a murder to make it look as though Full Moon Mercy had turned against Oreno and that’s what resulted in a shootout that killed Seth and almost killed Leah.

  It wasn’t so much Seth’s death that hurt Lucas, but what Seth knew about the club that could change everything. Seth had been plugged by Vince to kill Leah. The backstab effort didn’t come to life as Seth couldn’t do it. It felt right now that there was so much revenge to be dealt, in and out of Full Moon Mercy, that Lucas didn’t know where to start.

  He would need to keep cool and go in proper order.

  Seth was part of the crew. He was patched into Full Moon Mercy and he had given his life for the club. That meant he deserved a proper service to honor his life.

  “I hate this shit,” Cooper said. “I hate it so much. Wheeling and dealing around these areas. Riding and wondering if I’m going to get attacked.”

  “Me too,” Lucas said. He threw his cigarette to the ground. “Me too. Come on, let’s go.”

  They fired up the three motorcycles and began to ride again.

  Lucas took the lead and this time, he kept it. He rode from the flat, paved road to the rocky path that lead to the compound Dr. Carane called home. The smell of the place was horrible, a mix of shit, blood, and rotting death. Lucas had no idea what the hell Dr. Carane actually did here, but he didn’t care. Dr. Carane was helping Debbie and he had saved Leah.

  Dr. Carane stood on the front porch of his house with his arms folded. His face looked tired and mean. Something about the doctor scared the hell out of Lucas, but if it came down to it Lucas would kill the doctor. There was a history between Vince and Dr. Carane. Vince had once slit Dr. Carane’s throat and in return, Dr. Carane stabbed Vince.

  As Lucas approached the porch, he showed his hands were clean.

  “Doctor,” he said.

  “Lucas,” Dr. Carane said. “I smelled you from miles away.”

  Dr. Carane always said things like that, making Lucas wonder just how much of a human he actually was.

  “How is Leah?” Lucas asked.

  “Come inside. See for yourself.”

  “Mind if the guys come in?”

  “They’re best off outside,” Dr. Carane said. “I don’t like a full house. In fact, I prefer if you came alone.”

  “That’s impossible to do,” Lucas said. “You know what we’re up against. I’m a target alone.”

  “You’re not a target inside my home,” Dr. Carane said. “Leave the others out.”

  Lucas looked back and nodded. Cooper pointed to the house and nodded back. Ian stood with his arms crossed, looking annoyed. There was nothing Lucas could do right now without starting a fight with the doctor who had helped him so much. That meant Cooper and Ian would just have to deal outside.

  Inside, Lucas caught the same old smell of Dr. Carane’s house. It was a mix of must and some kind of cleaning agent. It wasn’t pleasant at all.

  Dr. Carane offered a bottle of whiskey and Lucas declined.

  “Suit yourself, son,” Dr. Carane sai
d. He drank from the bottle.

  “How is…,” Lucas started to saw.

  “Have a look for yourself,” Dr. Carane said, knowing that Lucas was talking about Debbie.

  Dr. Carane pointed to the back of the kitchen where there was a small room off the kitchen that had a floor to ceiling window. When Lucas stood there, it made him shiver. The back of the property was lined with what looked like cages or pens. Dr. Carane most certainly experimented in some weird shit.

  When Lucas spotted Debbie, he made fists and gritted his teeth.

  She looked like hell, almost certain ready for death. She had been caged like an animal and sat in a corner with her legs out and her massive stomach taking up most of her body. Her hands were black and bloody, leaving Lucas’s imagination run wild as to what Debbie ate for nourishment. It definitely wasn’t food humans were accustomed to.

  “She’s doing as well as she can,” Dr. Carane said as he stepped next to Lucas. “For the record, she’s not bound to where she is now. I keep her in the house as much as possible. Try to treat her as a human.”

  “Doc, she is a human,” Lucas said.

  Dr. Carane smiled. “Not as much as she was before you fucked her.”

  Lucas curled his lip. “If you say so.”

  “I see it everyday, Lucas. I’m going to do all I can to save her and the baby. Vince has made it clear that the baby is most important. I’m sure you can agree seeing that it will be the bloodline of your club.” Dr. Carane leaned closer to Lucas. “Not to mention a grandchild to Vince.”

  “Yeah,” Lucas said.

  To save Leah, Lucas agreed for Vince to claim him. That meant Lucas was now a son to Vince; the son Vince and Mandy could never conceive. Claiming connected them deeply and without that connection, Dr. Carane wouldn’t have saved Leah. Lucas knew there was more to the story than just that, but as he watched Leah bleed out, ready to take her last breath, he had no choice but to accept Vince’s offer once and for all.

  So now he was the son of the man who led Full Moon Mercy. And he was also the son of the man who tried to kill Leah. It was a lot to take in and keep calm with.