The Beast Within (The Elite Series) - By Jonathan Yanez Page 0,2

an amused smile.

“Oh, right,” Connor said, lowering his hand and wiping the perspiration on his already soaked hoodie. “What are you doing out here? It seems like the wrong place for someone dressed so nicely.”

“Apparently. I was supposed to meet someone here for a business meeting. He didn’t show.”

Connor was about to ask what type of business meeting would take place in the forest but instead was drawn to her necklace. The bronze emblem that hung from the gold chain around her neck was a symbol he had never seen before. It looked to be a family heirloom, hundreds of years old.

Noticing his gaze on her necklace, she looked down and cupped the small symbol in her hand. “It was a gift from my father.”

“It looks great on you.”

“Well, thank you, Connor.” She searched him up and down. “Your running shoes look… quite becoming on you as well.”

They both smiled at this and shared a laugh.

“Where are you from, Laren?”

“New York mostly. And you?”

“Same, born and raised. I love it, but sometimes it can be overwhelming and I need to get away. So I come here.”

“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Laren said.

“It is… everything about it,” he said more to himself than to Laren.

Laren looked at him and as their eyes met, she blushed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I just meant—”

“No,” she stopped him. “That was a very sweet thing to say.”

Before Connor could get another word out, the sound of someone running through the forest interrupted them.

CHAPTER 2

BOTH OF THEM TURNED AND saw a huge man, also dressed in business attire, maneuvering through the trees and making his way toward Laren.

“Are you okay, Laren?” He turned his dark green eyes on Connor. “Who’s this?”

“I’m fine, and this is Connor. He was just out for a jog.” Laren turned to Connor. “I’m sorry, my brother can be quite rude sometimes. This is Lu.”

Connor gave the man a friendly smile. Sensing the tension, he tried to think of something to say. “Hello, Lu. Is that short for something? Lewis or Luke?”

“Yep, it is short for something.” He turned to his sister and whispered, “They didn’t show. More than likely this means trouble. We need to contact Father and see what our next move is. Come on, let’s go.” Lu turned his back and without a second glance, stalked off into the forest.

“It was nice meting you,” Connor half shouted to his back.

“Sorry, don’t take it personally. I actually think he likes you. You were talking to his little sister and he didn’t threaten to kill you.”

“So, does that mean I have his approval?”

“Shouldn’t you be worrying about my approval?”

“You’re right. So, do I?”

“Laren, come on!” Lu, although out of sight, was apparently not out of yelling range.

“I really have to go now, Connor, but it was very nice meeting you.”

“Wait, am I going to see you again?”

Laren hesitated a moment before replying, “Usually I’d just say no. My family isn’t big on me dating outside of their approved circle. But if we meet again, then we’ll know it’s fate and you’ll have yourself a date.” She then turned and disappeared among the trees.

Connor was stunned. Not only had he met an incredibly attractive and witty woman, but he was powerless to do anything about seeing her again. His boldness at asking her out surprised even him. He had never been good at striking up conversations with complete strangers, especially those of the opposite sex.

In his truck on the drive home, Connor couldn’t get Laren out of his head. He kept wondering what type of business meeting would take place in the woods, but mostly he wondered how he could feel so drawn to a stranger after one short exchange, and why he kept thinking about her necklace.

Shaking off these thoughts, he pulled into his driveway. His single story, three-bedroom house was in a middle-class suburban neighborhood just outside of New York City. The dark brown fence and freshly trimmed yard gave him a sense of greetingas he walked to the front door.

An only child, Connor lived with his mother. His father left them when he was just a baby. Connor didn’t have any memories of his father, nor any desire to find him, and his mother rarely mentioned him; a clue for Connor to leave the topic alone.

Connor had decided to take the summer between his senior year of high school and his freshman year of college off from his normal job at the gym to help his mother with her store. He didn’t