Chapter 4 Creature
T here was something hauntingly beautiful and mysterious about the desert at night.
Under the cover of darkness, predators hunted, and blooms folded closed to avoid the chilly air.
Animals burrowed and found shelter. The desert seemed to hold its breath until morning, a collective breath that released with the rising sun.
In the Great Basin, it was a kill-or-be-killed scenario—survival of the fittest.
And humans were at the top of the food chain.
Darkness encroached from every angle. I couldn’t see further than the headlight on my bike that illuminated enough of the sand, tumbleweeds, cacti, and Juniper Trees to warn me before I ran them over.
Snakes, scorpions, spiders, and other creatures slithered and scurried into the shadows as we rode through their domain.
Across the endless expanse, a shimmer of light whispered with seductive promise. The best part about Nevada was the stargazing. It didn’t disappoint tonight, with bright white lights twinkling above our heads as they surrounded the moon.
I gripped the handlebars on my bike and followed Maddog. I relaxed in the saddle, at peace with the wild, untamed beauty around me. The vibrations of the engine zipped through my body and settled. I loved the way my bike purred when I rode her.
Bikes had different sounds, but there was no mistaking a Harley.
Unique, deep, and rustic. Like a rumble of thunder shooting through me as I felt every RPM of the motor.
Other bikes just sounded off, as if they lacked the guts of a Harley, but not my old man’s Dyna Wide Glide.
Goosebumps ran down my arms as the wind caressed my skin with chilled fingers.
Riding a bike he loved and being in the same saddle meant the fucking world to me.
For the first time since arriving in Las Vegas, I began to relax. Out here in the untamed wilds of the desert, no enemy threatened us. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder because I could feel the presence of Maddog and Manic as we rode across the sand.
So when I saw a giant ball of fire hurtling toward me, I had to blink to be sure I wasn’t imagining it.
The flames flickered over it and swarmed like a breathing entity as it pulsed.
It freaked me the fuck out when the ball landed a few feet in front of my bike.
I slammed on the brakes and nearly catapulted over my fucking handlebars.
“Maddog! Manic!” I shouted, turning my head to find they had disappeared. No Harleys. Nothing but desert all around me.
A crater had opened in the earth from the impact, and the flames began to fade, flickering instead of raging. Thick smoke lifted from the ball that resembled an asteroid. I would have stuck with that theory, but it began to vibrate. An odd humming noise followed.
Slowly, bit by bit, cracks began to appear. They crackled over the blackened ball as the smoke lifted from its surface and curled in dense gray toward the sky. I could imagine it was hot as hell and didn’t approach it. But I did rise off the saddle of my bike.
When it hatched, fucking hatched , I stumbled backward.
What in the actual fuck?
I had to wonder if someone put something in my drink. I had to be trippin’.
A creature with massive leathery black wings unfolded from inside, stretching its limbs as clawed hands opened and its shoulders rolled back. The being stood and stepped over the shattered black shell, placing hooved feet on the sand. He had to be seven feet tall.
Red eyes met my curious gaze as I realized the facial features were humanoid.
Masculine, too. The creature had to be human when my gaze dipped briefly, and I caught the hanging, jutting cock between his thighs.
Jesus. Christ. I didn’t want to see his swinging dick.
That thing was more oversized than a horse cock.
Laughter spilled from his dark lips, followed by a scowl. “I do hate hearing his name. It’s such a downer.”
I squinted, wondering what I said. Oh. Ha.
He’s a fun one.
Not now, Drake , I scolded.
The man-creature grinned. “You’re crowded in there.”
I blinked. How did he know? Did he read minds?
He’s sneaky.
“What do you want?” I asked, staring the creature down. He reminded me of a painting I saw once overseas. The artist had called the work The Beast, 666 .
I snorted at the memory. The devil. Or Lucifer Morningstar.
That was the theme of the art show I attended.
It was fascinating and dark but somehow seductive and enticing, too. I hadn’t thought of it in years. How strange that it popped up now.
“Because I willed it.”
I froze. He was reading my mind. Shit!
“You’re him. Lucifer.”
He bowed. “Of course. So wonderful to be recognized without theatrics.”
My gaze remained on his face because I refused to dip lower than his chest and get an eyeful of his dick again. But theatrics? He didn’t think a ball of fire and hatching from a black dragon-like egg was theatrical?
Get the fuck out. He was messing with me.
A chuckle followed. “You’re more intelligent than I anticipated, Balen, Drake Hobbs.”
Yeah, that insulted me. I crossed my arms over my chest.
He snapped his fingers, and the creature disappeared.
Poof. In its place, a man in a dark, tailored suit stood.
His hair had been slicked back, and he wore a debonair smile, enhancing his handsome features more than humanely possible.
I could appreciate that he was an attractive male, but if he asked me to suck his cock, I would fucking pull out my gun and shoot him.
Devil or not.
Lucifer’s grin grew too wide, stretching his mouth in an unnatural way. I cringed.
“You’re the perfect addition to Maddog’s club. Just the sort of dark, twisted, cocky asshole I enjoy employing in my service. As a bonus, you already share space with a second personality. It’s so fucking intriguing I’m getting hard.”
I reached into my cut and pulled out my weapon. “I’m not listening to any more descriptions about your dick.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled with humor. “Fascinating.”
“You already said that,” I reminded him.
“Fine.” His lower lip jutted out as he pouted. “It’s business then, not pleasure.”
“You got that right.”
Wait. He said Maddog. This was who my pres wanted me to meet? Shit.
“Maddog and Manic have already bargained and signed their contracts. You’re next.”
Fuck me. That sounded shady as fuck.
“The shadows call to you,” Lucifer observed, stroking the light stubble grazing his jaw. “They surround you and Drake. They feel called to service you.”
Service? If this was like some weird kink, I wanted no part of it.
“The shadows don’t want to fuck you,” he laughed, “although that’s intriguing.” He smirked. “They want to serve you. Be led by you. They desire your leadership to punish the wicked.”
Shit. That caught my attention. “Punish the wicked?”
He knew he snared me now. His red eyes changed color to gray and glinted like diamonds. “Oh, yes. You will have the shadows, Drake, and a companion if you choose to accept him.”
“What kind of companion?”
“A spiritual entity. He longs to bond with Drake.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because they are similar. Dark. Twisted. Ruthless.” He shrugged. “Exceptional hunters.”
Okay.
“If you accept this companion, he will help find the last of the men involved with your mother’s murder.”
I froze.
“Yes. I meant it. The entity will help you.”
Fuck. How could I say no to that?
“Will it change me?”
“Not physically. Drake will enter your conscious mind and share it often. The separation will be less. You’ll be closer but also stronger, more attuned to the gifts he possesses.”
“Gifts?”
“Your companion has special abilities. I won’t spoil the surprise.”
Of course not. That would be too easy and transparent for the devil.
He grinned. “You understand. How delightful.”
Not really.
The devil flicked his wrist, snapping a thick piece of parchment in front of my face.
It rolled downward from his fingertips, revealing skull and bone-themed nail décor.
It hit the ground before curling at the end in front of my boots.
Golden particles floated above the bloodred ink.
A wax seal matched the color in the shape of a ghostly skull.
“What do I have to do? What’s the bargain?”
“You hunt for me. Bring in the bounties I need. The souls of the wicked.”
Uh, okay.
“Like the murderer who shot your mother and Mateo Ruiz, who beat an innocent woman.”
Fuck. He sure knew how to sell himself.
“How will I know which souls are the ones to hunt?”
“That’s why you receive the companion. He’ll guide Drake.”
That made sense. “And his abilities?”
“Gifts to ensure your success.”
Wow. It was far more straightforward than I expected.
“What if I disagree about a soul?”
“Then choose not to hunt, but know that punishment always comes to the wicked, one way or another. I get my souls.”
I shivered as a chill slid down my spine.
“I’ll do it.”
He nodded. “Sign.” His nail sliced across the tip of my finger as I lifted my hand, and I signed the parchment in my blood. The cut sealed shut as I dropped my hand. No pain. No wound.
“You’re no longer two personalities now, Balen. Drake and his shadow warrior will combine with you and bond. You’ll merge and become the creature you were always meant to be.”
His finger tapped my forehead, and I felt a rush of wind before something tackled me to the ground. A heavy presence hovered above my skin, invisible to the eye, before sinking into my flesh. For a second, I felt suffocated. Panic widened my eyes. . .and then it faded.
Hello, Balen.
It was Drake’s voice and also something else. Deeper, Grittier. And so fucking powerful.
It felt so good my cock hardened.
Lucifer laughed. “Better take care of that.”
I scowled. “My dick is off limits.”
“So you say, but you’re straining in your jeans. If you’re not careful, you might pop a button on that fly soon.”
“It’s not for you, fucker.”
He chortled, simpering with glee.
“Welcome, Creature. I’m going to enjoy having you in my collection.”
Mother. Fucker.
He disappeared before I could reply. I lowered my gun, realizing I still palmed it and shoved it back inside the pocket in my cut. The giant dragon-like egg vanished, and the smoke disintegrated. All that remained was Manic, who stared at me with humor, and Maddog, who clapped me on the back.
“You get fuckered too?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yeah. Lucifer is a tricky bastard.”
He chuckled. “Sure is.”
I adjusted the erection I couldn’t seem to control, and both of them lost it, nearly falling off their bikes with laughter.
“Fuck off,” I spat, throwing a leg over the seat of my Harley and firing up the engine.
“Let’s get you back to the clubhouse. You need your cut, tattooed, a whiskey, and your dick sucked. You’ll have to figure out that last part on your own.”
I knew that. “Asshole.”
Back at the new clubhouse, I shrugged on my new cut, admiring the patches that read Creature and Enforcer.
It felt right. Like all this time, I’d been waiting for something, and I didn’t know what it was until now.
Maybe it was just committing to the same life as my old man and finding my place in an MC.
He would be proud of that. But also, because I had struggled with Drake and kept him a secret, this rendered the idea that I was crazy void.
Now, it didn’t feel so strange. I could sense him and the entity.
It wasn’t like a separate personality that I wouldn’t remember when he took control.
We were all the same now. A shared consciousness. Wild.
I ended up in my room hours later, fisting my cock in the shower because after jerking off twice in my bed, I still had a raging hard-on.
It wasn’t going down. Horny as fuck, I pictured the girl’s face I found at the bar.
It was fucked up, but I imagined her kneeling before me, taking the tip of my dick in her soft, wet mouth, and sucking hard.
My body jolted.
Piercing blue eyes watched as I rolled my hips, tugging hard on my erection as I pumped in and out. She swallowed me down, and I groaned, spilling into that welcoming cavern and emptying every last drop as she drank, greedily gulping it down.
I couldn’t remember the last time I came this fucking hard. The fantasy faded as I washed my body and shuddered.
I finally fell into bed, exhausted.
My dreams? A curvy redhead.
She rocked my world all night.