The Beast Within (The Elite Series) - By Jonathan Yanez Page 0,70

was alien, as if his teeth belonged to someone else. He looked at his reflection in the river and didn’t recognize the person looking back. Two red eyes stared at him. Fangs had sprouted from his mouth.

“It’s okay, Connor. Control it. Don’t lose yourself to it. You have control.”

Still gasping for breath, he shook his head. It was intoxicating, it was a drug. He wanted more. He didn’t want to stop, although he knew he had to. This wasn’t him. It was part of him.

Grabbing his hair with both hands, he shook his head back and forth and screamed. He had to stop it. If he was ever going to be the man he needed to be, he had to learn to control it. Then it was gone. The power faded, the surging feeling ebbed, and he was left kneeling on the river bank, Lu standing beside him.

“I knew you could do it. It’s not easy now, switching it off and on. It will be, you’ll learn.”

And Connor did learn, quickly. By the end of their session, Connor could lift more than he’d ever dreamed, punched almost as hard as Lu, and their sparring match went so well that after Connor had pinned him a few times, Lu even began teaching him different styles and techniques.

The two stopped as they saw Laren approaching, panting from their day of training. “I know you can’t see it because it’s just you and not a class, but you’re doing great. You’re light years ahead of where you should be. I almost take back all those mean things I told my sister about you.”

“It’s okay. I thought you were kind of a tool for a long time.”

“I still am kind of a tool.”

Laren smiled at her brother as she passed him. “Ready to run, Connor?”

“The question is, do you think you can keep up with me, Miss Abelardus?”

“That’s the spirit. All right, try to keep up. I’ll start off at a steady jog, then a run and push it to a sprint at the end.”

Connor nodded.

The two took off into the forest at what Laren deemed a “steady jog.” It felt more like a run to Connor. He reached for his power again and felt it pulsing slowly. He tapped into the feeling and energy coursed though his body.

When Laren was ready to push the pace, Connor met her stride for stride.

Fifteen minutes later, Laren looked at her running partner. “Ready? Here comes the sprint.”

“Let’s get after it.” Connor gritted his teeth and grabbed on to his internal beast. His legs moved faster than he thought possible as the two flew down the forest path.

Trees and bushes became blurs of green and brown. Connor didn’t even turn to see Laren’s pace. Instead, he focused on the path and let the rest of the world fall away. There was only one thought in his head, run.

Connor lost all track of time, and although his lungs burned, he would have continued down the path had Laren not called a stop.

“Okay, Flash, that’s enough for one day. I think it’s your turn to find dinner.”

Connor stopped and smiled at her panting. “What’s on the menu tonight? Roast squirrel with a berry sauce, fried rabbit and figs, frog legs and lettuce?”

“Whatever you can scavenge. You’re the chef tonight. Although frog legs do sound tempting.” Laren laughed.

Connor turned and walked into the woods, surveying the forest floor. He searched just like Laren taught him. Slowly and deliberately, his eyes scanned the forest floor until he found a tiny paw print.

Following the trail, he soon found himself beside a tree. Looking into the branches, a large grey squirrel returned his gaze. The branch the squirrel sat on was ten feet off the ground.

Laren appeared beside him. “Think you can get him?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Connor backed up a few feet, and before his mind ran through the reasons that his plan couldn’t physically work, he started running. He jumped as high as he could and pushed off the tree trunk, propelling himself higher. The squirrel’s mouth dropped open, and if it was possible for squirrels to look surprised, this one did.

Still flying in the air, Connor grabbed the animal off the tree branch, and for a split second, thought he was going to die. Gravity overcame his upward momentum and sent him falling to the hard forest floor ten feet below.

You’re going to die. Morrigan is going to be so pissed. He hit the ground on both