Alright lovelies, here's the next chapter. First off, so very sorry I haven't posted a chapter in a ridiculous amount of time. Apologies. Second, you have no idea how many rewrites it took to write this chapter. Normally I write, then edit, but this thing took two re-writes, and tons of editing. So I sure hope you enjoy. Many thanks to Paddawhump, my favorite editor of all time. Love ya lots, and thanks again for telling me straight up that it didn't work. Enjoy.

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So basically, Camp Green Lake was my personal hell. The extreme boredom of digging holes every day was only made better by the toughening of my body. But of course, there was one thing that just screwed that up. Lacey. The girl was a siren, and utterly frustrating. She made it unbearable. In my life, I'd had plenty of girls. I was good looking, that I knew, and they just seemed to gravitate to me. Of course, then I'd been the top of the heap. Here, I was the newcomer. I'd changed my status marginally when I beat Thlump in basketball, but he was hardly a worthy challenge. All of the guys in my tent, except Spider, were idiots. They were the lowest of the low, attempted murder, rape, actual murder, and sexual harassment. Of course, I was in for statutory rape, so I don't get to complain.

Absently, I cast a glance at Lacey. We walked back together after digging. She was a quiet little thing, and my mind changed tracks. Why had I ever gone after those girls at home? I know they were my type at the time, but now I was a new man. I used to love the tiny girls. Sure they didn't have any breasts or ass, but they made me feel powerful, strong. They put a lot of effort into their appearance. They were stupid too. They were like sheep, and did whatever I asked of them. But like I said, I'm forever a new man. Lacey didn't fit into any of the specifications, except for 'damn hot'. She was tall; her head was at my shoulder. The way she carried herself was like a queen, and that made her seem even taller. I guessed her at 110 lbs, but judging by the muscle, she probably weighed more. Now I knew why some guys said they liked a little somethin' to hold on to. Damn.

Of course, this one was a challenge. When I touched her, she got angry. That was a new one. Better than getting angry though, she punished me with her fists. The first time I saw her, my eyes had landed on the appropriate body parts, but now, they covered her face as well, trying to unravel the thoughts and emotions they found. I cast a glance at her hair. Of course it would be my luck to get a redhead. Why not a blonde? They were more complacent. Heck, every girl but Lacey was complacent! When we passed her tent, she ducked inside, and I passed my usual feel on her ass. The smile she flashed was beautiful. I was grinning when I reached my tent. With a sigh I laid on my lame excuse for a bed and stretched my tired muscles out. Lacey always showered right away, and I didn't want to tempt myself. When the three minutes for her shower passed, I gathered my stuff.

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Most people were tight with their tent. The tents hung out with each other, but I was an outsider. It didn't bother me of course. I didn't want to be friends with the scum that they were. Of course, Spider and I got along, but that's because he had been framed. He told me so. Not to mention, Easy and Thlump had a vendetta against Lacey. I didn't need to be around that, but I kept an ear out. Our tent went to the mess hall, waiting with the rest to go inside. My eyes found Lacey immediately.

"Dude, what kind of hold does that girl have over you?" Spider asked me quietly.

"Naw man, she doesn't have a hold over me. She's just a girl."

He laughed, "Sure. Have you seen her? That's a woman."

My eyes flicked back to her and ran up and down her figure. Spider grinned, "She's gorgeous."

I nodded, and then looked back to him, "Now you sound obsessed, man."

He laughed, "Man, she's the only girl in camp, and she's damn hot. What else would I think?"

Just then the doors opened and we streamed in, just behind tent D. Lacey was inside, tranquil, and pushing her tray along the counter. The way she was standing actually made me relax a little. Like she was radiating calm. I felt someone pass me, and saw Easy making a beeline for her. I took a step forward, but Spider's hand was on my shoulder, holding me back.

"Whoa man, just chill out."

I looked at him, agitated, "He's gonna do something to her! I can't just stand here!"

His answer was calm, and he stared me in the eyes when he said it, "She's a big girl; she can handle it herself."

I glanced over. Lacey was stiff, and Easy was at her back. She lowered her arms to her sides, "Hey Easy. What's shakin'?"

"Shut up whore." I stiffened when he said that, "You're a naughty little girl that beat me at pool, so I think a spanking is in order."

Lacey's eyes darted from side to side, then Easy's hand groped her roughly in between her legs. I saw red. The only thing holding me back was Spider. I turned to him, "Let me go!"

His eyes bored into mine with a clear 'no'. I turned to Lacey. By now, Easy was on the floor, and she was pounding her various appendages into any soft flesh she could find. A feral snarling was coming from her mouth. Okay, I know normally, it would be scary when a girl is that pissed, but Lacey is even hotter when she's mad. And the slow, deliberate way her body was moving was almost sensual. I shook myself out of the haze, and my rage began to grow. Everyone was shouting now, and Lacey was still pounding furiously into him. I watched as four, not one, not two, not three, but four, of Lacey's tent mates pulled her off of him. They were shouting as she thrashed in their arms, bucking wildly, hissing like an animal. It took her a long time to calm down. I strode forward and pulled the bastard to his feet. Slowly, he wiped the blood off his face with one hand, then held out the other to shake my hand, "Thanks man."

That did it for me. I hauled back with a left hook straight into the side of his head. He went flying. Then, I started shouting. Of course, my brain didn't catch up with my mouth until I was halfway through the sentence, "You don't touch her! She is mine! If you touch her again, I'll shove my shovel so far up your ass, you won't be able to sit for the rest of your life. That goes for everyone!"

Lacey hissed behind me and I turned. Her eyes were ablaze with fury, and her lip was curled in a snarl, "I don't belong to anyone."

Her eyes were angry, but her body language said something a little different. I couldn't interpret it, but I stepped closer. Someone had let go of her right arm, and now it jabbed towards me, but I caught it. I'd anticipated this. I pulled it down, and gently stroked along her cheekbone with my other hand. "Oh really?"

She snarled again, and thrashed towards me, eyes wild. Her tent had her suspended again, and her struggles were fruitless. Still furious, she whipped her head around to X. "Let me down," she hissed. He didn't move, just stood with his arms crossed. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and he nodded to the boys holding her up. They let her down, and once her feet touched the floor, she straightened up. Her green eyes met mine, still blazing with fury, "I despise you."

The words were a blow, and we both knew it. I knew they were words spoken in anger, and they probably didn't mean shit, but they hurt all the same. With that, she turned on her heel, and stormed out of the dining hall, though it looked like she was walking on a runway. The door slammed, and her tent scrambled to grab some food before they followed her out. Mr. Sir burst into the dining hall looking a little panicked. He stopped over the groaning Easy, "Who did this?"

I stepped forward, "Me."

Everyone's head turned to look at me. I knew several jaws were on the ground. Mr. Sir snarled, "You, you, you, and you, take Easy to the first aid tent. And you-" he pointed at me, "you're coming with me."

Anxious and edgy, I followed. He was heading straight for the warden's house. Now I was even more nervous. Still fuming, Mr. Sir knocked on the door. Footsteps came from inside, and the door was flung open. The woman standing there could have been Lacey's mother. Their hair was the same shade, but the warden's was a little blonder.

"What?"

Mr. Sir pushed me forward a little, "This girl scout pounded the crap out of Easy."

"Excuse me? You brought him to me for a measly little fight?"

Mr. Sir was uncomfortable now, "Well, it was far from measly, Easy looks like he got hit by some sort of truck."

The warden was scowling now, "Do I care? Take him to Pendanski."

I was shocked. I would get off scot free? Cool. I hadn't anticipated that. With final words of warning, she closed the door. Mr. Sir led me down the steps, "You watch yourself. I've got my eyes on you."

I nodded, then shook my arm loose. I only had eyes for Lacey's tent. I walked over there, heart in my throat, and pushed the tent flap away. Six heads whipped towards the entrance. Lacey was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. When I moved to take a step inside, the boys swarmed, blocking my path.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check on her."

X pushed me a little, "She doesn't want to see you. If she did, she would have asked."

Now I was a little angry, "Please? I just need to see if she's okay."

X opened his mouth to tell me to beat it.

"No X, it's alright, let him in."

This was Lacey's soft command, and I stepped in. Never mind the angry looks from the boys around me, I only had eyes for her. X hovered near me, as did the others, ready to muscle me out the door. Lacey was still staring at the ceiling, "I need to speak with him privately."

"Are you sure?" Was X's gentle question. Lacey nodded, and everyone filed out of the tent, leaving just us. My heart was pounding now, and I walked over to sit on the bunk next to hers. Slowly, she righted herself, and sat facing me, feet on the floor, and staring at her shoes. Before I spoke, I realized that she was trembling.

"Butterfly, are you okay?"

She didn't look at me, she shook her head. Her hands were trembling harder, and her shoulders were shaking. Firmly, I tilted her chin up, and saw the unspilled tears in her eyes. "Ah Lace."

She blinked, and a tear slipped down her cheek. Unable to bear it anymore, I stood and pulled her to my chest. As soon as her face was buried in my chest, she dissolved into long, tearful sobs. Feeling a little awkward but wanting to give her comfort, I stroked her hair. The thought of how nice her body felt pressed against mine passed into my head unbidden. Worried, I banished it. I didn't need that thought right now. It was then I became aware of just how much her body was trembling. She must have been frightened.

My eyes widened, and a fact from a biology class I'd taken appeared in my head, 'scared animals are more dangerous than angry ones'. She'd beaten him better than she'd ever beaten me. And come to think of it, when I'd said statutory rape, there had been an irregularity in her gait, her breath. She was afraid of rapists! I wanted to smack myself on the forehead. The whole time, I'd been working backwards from my goal. Eventually, her shaking subsided, and her sobs quieted. Gently, she pushed on my chest, and I let her go. The look on her face was calm, and her eyes were bright from crying. Her lips were red. Without thinking, I swooped down and kissed her on the mouth. Her lips were warm and soft. How in hell did a girl keep her lips soft in the desert? A fist collided with my head, and I stood up, smiling a little at her scowl. "Get the guys, and leave."

"Alright Ladybug. Anything for you."

The guys were practically pressing their ears to the tent, desperately trying to overhear. When I came out, I motioned them in, and then started ambling back to my tent.

Another one of my specifications when I'd been at home had been simply, 'don't get attached'. After all, I was a one night stand kind of guy. I'd had girlfriends, but none lasted very long. And there had been plenty of sex buddies along the way. But like I said, I was a new man.

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So how did everyone enjoy hearing things from beast's perspective for once? I hope it changed your opinion of him at least a little, in a good way. Let me know, and if everyone liked the change of pace, maybe more beast chapters will be in the works soon…

Em.