Chapter IV

"It's been three days since that last message," J.T. complained, sitting beside Tess on the porch of Catherine's country house. "Three days and no news. And before that just a god forsaken text message saying we're fine, don't look for us! What if something happened to them or…god forbid they happened to someone…?"

"Ok, first off, I just can't wrap my mind around this Catherine is a beast thingy at all," Tess answered with a hint of annoyance. "I'm not any happier than you at not knowing but you got to stop talking about it, if only for a few hours."

"Aren't you worried?" J.T. questioned accusingly.

"Don't you dare," Tess spat at him, standing up in outrage. "She's my best friend in the world. Ever since you and your…your beast of a friend got into her life, she's gotten nothing but trouble."

For a moment J.T.'s emotions ran from anger to shame and back but when he finally answered, anger had won over. "I guess now I know where you really stand. And may I remind you that for all we know, your best friend was a beast all along. Just like Tory, she just didn't know it yet."

J.T.'s angry response seemed to subdue Tess a little. She knew she'd gone too far with her outburst in the first place but this waiting for news had both of them on edge. And that was nothing compared to Heather's state of mind. The girl hardly left her bedroom ever since she'd grilled J.T. on where her sister had gone and got the last answer she'd ever expected.

"Tell me again what you got out of her father," Tess asked a little more calmly. She understood J.T.'s mood very well in spite of her protest. Fact was that J.T. and Vincent had been stuck together for years and counted on each other completely for all that time. J.T. told her that other than the three months he'd disappeared last year, Vincent had never been out of touch for more than a couple days in those past ten years. And now, it had been a week and the only news they had received was a text from a burner phone sent to Tess's cell.

"I got next to nothing," J.T. replied. "The guy is infuriatingly cryptic. The one thing that struck me is the reaction he got to the news about Cat. He looked like he'd been punched in the gut, just like us… so I guess he couldn't be much help in the matter and he very likely had nothing to do with it. So we're back at this Jeremy guy and Heather's vanished husband."

"Still can't find either of them?"

"Not a trace, although I did find something about Matthew- Seems he's served in the military with counter intelligence. That might explain why the agency used him in the first place."

"And the agents?"

"Carson and Levy...? Yeah that's about all I know about these two. They're like ghosts who only show up when they please. And apparently it doesn't please them right now; although it was strangely cute of them to have arranged for the repairs to the house… I really don't get those guys. On the one hand they're mysterious and sinister and on the other, they're just plain helpful."
"You gotta admit, your recovery was nothing short of miraculous and there are no apparent sequels. That also goes on the positive for those agents."

"Maybe I'll give them all the credit when they start acting above boards. Who knows, maybe they already know where Cat and Vincent are and they're not telling." J.T. bitterly replied.

"And we're back at this. I think I'm gonna go get a drink," Tess almost made it to the door, but J.T. stopped her by grabbing her arm gently. "I'm sorry alright? I know you care. I'm just so worried."

"I know," Tess relented, leaning against him. "How about we both get that drink?"

"Best idea so far," J.T. said, relaxing into a small smile. "You're right, there's no point in giving ourselves heart attacks. I'm sure they're ok."

"Wherever they are," Tess added leaning in for a quick kiss before taking J.T.'s hand and leading him inside the house.

At the edge of the large manicured lawn, a wooded area nearly surrounded the property, protecting the privacy of its occupants but also providing cover for someone wanting to watch without being seen. From behind one of the thickest trees at the edge of those woods, Catherine leaned over to see her friends going in. From her vantage point she could see and smell everything and most of all, the two men who were watching the property from a discreet distance and had probably been for the past week as far as she knew. A smile formed on her lips even as her eyes shined a bright yellow in the semi darkness of her hiding spot. Then she blurred away.

About fifty miles from the country house laid a large forested area and that's where Catherine and Vincent had been staying the whole time, nestled in one of the most remote cabins up on a forested hill. Catherine had to park her car on a gravel trail just off the main road since there wasn't a road leading up to the cabin, only a barely distinguishable hiking trail. She parked as far from prying eyes as she could and set up the hill towards the cabin and Vincent. All was quiet around the cabin. For added safety and to give herself some more time to think, she still walked the perimeter, trying to sense any change or presence but the only human heart beat for miles was the one she was expecting. Even as she listened to it from a distance, she heard the change that told her he knew she was there. Next thing she knew, Vincent's strong arms were encircling her. "Where did you go," he asked.

"Well, you know, looking out for our friends. They're fine by the way," Catherine replied even as she turned in his arms and her lips met his in a passionate embrace.

"I missed you," Vincent smiled, catching his breath in between kisses.

"I've only been gone for a couple hours. Thought you needed the sleep…"

His hands were exploring her lower back and now he pulled her tight against him, smiling hungrily, "I'm plenty rested…you?"

She had planned to have a talk with Vincent but maybe because she feared his reaction she allowed the animal passion to be reawakened in her and an almost feral smile played over her lips. Instead of answering, she pushed him hard to the ground and straddled him. "Boy," Vincent managed through his quickening breath, "that never gets old…" Then they tore each other clothes off impatiently and began making passionate love on the forest floor.

A week ago, Vincent had run off with her on instinct. He had not known what caused the change in Catherine or even the consequences of the change and he still didn't. The only thing he was certain of was that while in the beast form she had been out of control, and knowing her the way he did, Vincent thought the only way to help her was to keep her as far away from people as possible. He knew the particular area he'd driven them to because it was the same forest where his ex-fiancée had a cabin where he used to go with her often. Once there, he found a place that had not been in use for some time and was isolated for many miles around. He had just started a fire when Catherine came to.

"What are we doing here?" She'd questioned as soon as she got her bearings.

"Just thought it would be easier for you here…" Vincent had answered gently as he came to sit by her side on the tiny bed that occupied a corner of the one room cabin. "Not many amenities, I'll grant you," he continued apologetically, "but for now, I think it's the best place for both of us…"

"Are you sure it's not dangerous…" Catherine asked. "I… how did this happen," She suddenly burst.

"Hell if I know, Cat. I don't have a clue. I hoped maybe you did?"

Catherine looked around, mostly to give herself time to think. As she turned her head this way and that, she realized that the collar was still in place. The thing was seriously restrictive but at the same time, she feared removing it. For once in her life, she didn't mind being restrained.

"I'm sure it would be alright," Vincent told her softly, as if he was afraid he would break her fragile state of mind if he spoke too loud. Even as he spoke the words, he put his hands behind her neck, and began to work on the discreet locking mechanism. The collar's fastening wasn't extremely complicated but you had to know in which order to undo each links. That got him thinking of the ease with which Jeremy and Matthew had managed to remove it, twice, and the sense of unease deepened in him. But for now, he was determined to commit to Catherine's issue. The rest would still be there later. Before he could finish unlocking the collar Catherine pulled away from him. "What if I go nuts and hurt you?"

"Remember you once told me you weren't afraid of what I would do? I definitely am not afraid of you Catherine. And neither should you be of me. That's the only thing I'm sure of," Vincent told her with such assurance that most of her doubts melted away. She allowed him to remove the collar, which he then threw into the backpack he almost never went anywhere without and then sent it sliding toward the other end of the cabin. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok I think."

"Any more dizziness?"

"No…" Catherine's voice trailed as the first sensation hit her like a hammer to the forehead. Vincent's scent was suddenly so strong, it was overwhelming but, at the same time, she knew she craved it as if she'd been starved and was now presented with the lifesaving banquet she'd somehow known was there but could never quite reach. Then, even as she pulled Vincent to her almost savagely, her conscious mind gave way to a blissful explosion of the senses.

Long afterward, Catherine's conscious mind had somehow found its way back to her and even though she felt exhausted, her body sore and covered in sweat , she knew for sure she'd never experienced a more complete union in her entire life. For the entire time, she had not known where he started and where she ended. She knew him body and mind and he did her. She had no doubt about it.

"Wow," was all she could say as she laid on her back and simply tried to catch her breath.

"Hell yeah," Vincent breathed out, as he came closer and laid a lazy hand on her belly. "That was incredible, babe…If I'd known that's how you'd react, I'd have removed that thing much sooner…"

Even as her desire was already mounting again, a thought came unbidden and she grabbed Vincent and pushed him back forcefully, ending up straddling him. Her glowing eyes were staring into his own and in hers he could see desire but also a doubt forming. "Was it like that with Tory?" The simple fact that she could worry about this hurt Vincent viscerally. "You've got to know it was never about love with Tory, Catherine," He protested forcefully.

"It's not what I meant," Catherine hesitated. She was afraid that he might confirm her budding doubts and she knew that would crush her. "I mean…what if this isn't always like that? What if I'm…just human again…?"

"Beast or no beast," Vincent said, "I've never been more fulfilled than when I'm with you."

"But…"

Vincent stopped her with his finger on her lips. "No matter what, Catherine, you're the only one for me. No one ever came close, do you understand? No one," he told her this with such passion, she could have no doubt. "I love you with everything that I am and I never want you to forget that."

"I love you so much…" Catherine whispered before giving in to their passion once more.

For the next three days, they had hardly come up for air, only leaving the cabin once to get supplies and buy a burner. They used it only once to text Tess and then threw it out in a township almost thirty miles from their hideout. Catherine's sudden departure had been worrisome to Vincent but even though he had planned to grill her about her motives their passion has once again gotten in the way. Spent after their rump in the forest, Vincent and Catherine were entangled in a thick blanket in front of the fire.

"I got a confession to make," Catherine began a little hesitantly.

Still bathing in blissful contentment, Vincent didn't register the slight tremor in her voice. "Whatever it is, you can tell me anything, you know that," he said, sliding his arm underneath her and pulling her closer to him.

"Well," Catherine started, but then she stopped, as if she debated breaking this tender moment with any unpleasantness. "Ok, maybe I underplayed my little escapade…"
"Oh you mean how that was much longer than a couple hours?"

"You knew?"

"Honestly, I might have questioned it at the time, but you took the discussion in a different direction," he confessed playfully even as his free hand slid slowly down her side, eliciting involuntary moans of pleasure from Catherine.

"Stop that," she haltingly said, "I'm trying to be serious here…"

"Alright, what did you do that has you so worried," Vincent questioned and in that instant, he really wondered and worried a little. This whole past week, things had been so much better than he had feared. And now he was afraid that the reality of what happened was going to catch up to them. In fact, he couldn't chase away a feeling of foreboding, which significantly had begun not long before Catherine had left the cabin. He still didn't understand it.

"Nothing so bad…I'm just worried you won't like it."

"Hum, and why is that," Vincent questioned a lot more seriously this time.

"I went to see my dad…"

"You went to see him in your condition?!" Vincent exclaimed. "What happened?"

"He's still breathing if that's what worries you," Catherine answered testily.

"You know I'm not worried about your father, Catherine."

"Don't I know it," Catherine retorted and Vincent knew she was referring to the near miss of a year ago.

"Now you're just trying to deflect," Vincent told her, not taking the bait this time.

"Alright, well, I have been a little less angry with him and I guess that helped. But other than the fact that he had nothing new to tell me, he was a little rattled…and not because he saw me as a beast."

"How is that?"

"Apparently, J.T. went to see him a little while ago."

"I see…" Vincent said but in a way that told her he wasn't sure he did.

"Look I'm sure he meant well. After all, just like me, J.T. knows my father is the only sort of expert we know on beasts. He was the logical one to contact."

"I'm just not sure about the wisdom of telling him about you…Look what he did to me and he'd had occasion to know what I was capable and not capable of. He didn't care. He only wanted me dead because I'm a beast, remember?"

The passion with which Vincent had spoken told Catherine that the bad blood did not go away just yet on Vincent's part. Honestly she couldn't blame him since her father had betrayed him so completely.

"See that's why I wasn't keen on talking about it."

"And not because you might have beasted out in a prison?"

"Things went mostly well actually," Catherine defended herself.

"Mostly?"

"Ok he might have riled me up just a little but I only started changing before I got it under control…"

"Catherine, that's why we weren't supposed to go anywhere by yourself in the first place…but wait…you say you stopped yourself? I still don't get how you got control over this so fast…"

Now Catherine detected the smallest hint of resentment, although she was secretly relieved he didn't question her on the why she'd almost lost it. "I really didn't get many occasions to lose control… well, not in anger anyway," she added in an attempt at levity.

Vincent looked away, sighing lightly. For a long moment, he said nothing…"I got a confession of my own to make," he finally uttered.

"What's that," Catherine asked as she pulled his face back toward her gently and wondered if he already knew.

"Look this whole week has been wonderful on so many levels, mostly because…"

"Because?"

"Because for the first time, I didn't feel like you were the only one having the high moral ground…" Vincent blurted.

"What do you mean," Catherine, questioned uneasily.

Vincent sighed a little louder, obviously worried that she wouldn't understand.

"Look Catherine, for the whole time we've been together, I've been…let's put it this way, I was the one that needed help, to put it mildly."

"I didn't mind." Catherine protested.

"Come on babe, you know that's not true…At least it wasn't always true."

For a long moment they both stayed silent, both remembering the many occasions where Catherine had used her own humanity as first a shield and then as a way to justify her disapproval of him. Most of it she regretted now, but what was done was done.

"I told you I never wanted to hurt you," Catherine finally blurted.

"I know you didn't Catherine," Vincent replied quickly, "and I didn't blame you for most of it. I was out of control a lot of times…and…that's why when I realized you had suddenly become a beast yourself…"

"You thought we would finally be on equal ground," Catherine finished for him, understanding dawning on her.

"Something like that…I know that might sound selfish or something but I mean after you went after this Jeremy, not to mention Matthew's arm…"

"Thanks for reminding me," Catherine pouted a little but then, incongruously considering the discussion they'd been having Vincent saw a somewhat mischievous grin play on Catherine's lips.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Well, I did do something a little impulsive."

"To your dad," Vincent asked immediately, only half reassured by Catherine's attitude. For a brief moment, he had been reminded of Tory and her cavalier attitude toward what constituted good behaviour.

"No…I did stop by the country house. That part was true. And there I found that our agent friends are still watching."

"That's good news…means they don't know where we are. Wait, what did you do?"

"Oh don't worry, I don't see how they could have followed me, not after I slashed their tires and then led them on a little wild goose chase through the woods…"

"Catherine!"

"What," Catherine exclaimed, feigning innocence. "Those guys are spying on our friends, and my sister. They're shady at best. I just thought they needed a little lesson that's all."

"How much did they see?"

"All they know is that some beast growled near where they were hiding and they followed the sound through the woods. I swear they didn't see me. I'm not stupid…for all I know, they now think it was just some wild animal."

"I'm not so sure it would matter all that much anyway…"

"What do you mean?"

"Remember what they told us? That they were watching both of us…I can't help thinking that they knew about you even before we did…"

Vincent noticed a hesitation in Catherine, as if she knew something about it but debated saying it out loud. Then, for whatever reason, she decided not to say anything but her eyes betrayed some anxiety. He was about to question it when Catherine answered indirectly.

"I guess it would be time to go back home…" she said regretfully. But then, she seemed to think better of it and the fleeting moment of worry he'd witnessed was all but gone, "but we don't have to go this minute right?"

"Really not," Vincent smiled, forgetting his own doubts when his desire for her buried any other concept in his mind. The hand that had been loosely holding her hip moved purposefully again.

"If you want, I could be the big bad wolf this time," Catherine added, somehow managing to get only her claws out and slowly dragging them down Vincent's chest.

"Hum," he managed throatily, "I guess I should start running…" but he contradicted himself by pulling her harder against him. "Then again I'm not really afraid of the big bad wolf…"

"So," J.T. began as soon as he arrived in the antechamber to Reynolds, Catherine's father, cell. "You're saying that she came to you?"

"Yes she did and she had a lot of questions of course."

J.T. paced the length of the small room he'd been led in. He was facing a man he positively hated for the second time this week and now that man had more news from his friend than he did. For J.T. this week from hell seemed to be getting worse and worse. "At least she said they were ok right?"

"If you could call that ok," Reynolds said. "She seemed…fine but…that shouldn't have happened. Did Vincent do something to her? Or you maybe?"

"Are you insane? Neither one of us could ever do that to Catherine."

"Honestly, the way Catherine behaved when she came here, I thought maybe she wanted it…"

"That's the last thing…" J.T. protested vehemently. "Catherine is in love with Vincent, not with him being a beast! There's a big distinction here!"

Reynolds who had been sitting on his cot suddenly got up and came closer to the bar, lowering his voice as he said, "Vanessa said...she seemed so certain. And she's thirty. It just doesn't make sense.

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Look it's complicated. Suffice to say I never thought...Jeremy told the family Vanessa did it, the rat bastard!"

"The family? You make it sound like the mafia or something. Catherine's only family is Heather and, to a certain extent, you."

"Our family is quite large on the contrary. As large in fact as Vincent's or Jeremy's. "

"Alright, I don't know why we keep coming to you; I think you're getting unhinged. Vincent's family is composed of one nephew and he's only been in contact with him since he came out in public eight months ago. The thing I retained from what you just said is that you do know about this Jeremy guy…"

"Of course I do. I had to provide the security measures. Obviously they weren't good enough…"

"Obviously! Add this failure to all your other ones," J.T. replied impatiently. "Anyhow, you summoned me here to talk this nonsense?"

"No, after she questioned me about her little problems…"

"Little problems yeah," J.T. interrupted.

"Yes, after we talked about that, I remembered about the notebooks, Rebecca's notebooks.

"What notebooks?"

"Rebecca's notebooks, along with a few other more recent additions; there's even one by Catherine's mother."

"Is that the same Rebecca whose journal Catherine was reading a few weeks ago?"

"Yes, one and the same. The journal in question was one of a series that she wrote. Catherine doesn't know about them but she did ask me in passing about some dusty boxes and women's clothing she saw in the guestroom closet. The journals are in those boxes and although in principle they are her property I'd recommend waiting for her to get used to her new situation before delving into the past. It would be a great service to her if you removed these notebooks from the room in question and stored them in a safe place…"

"And why would I do that? I mean that woman passed away a long time ago. What could be so dangerous in what she has to say that you'd be worried about it? Is your family really part of some mafia or something?"

"Or something…suffice to say that if those journals were to fall into the wrong hands, it could hurt a lot of people including your friends. Catherine shouldn't have to worry about those until she's better equipped to handle them."

Although J.T. recognized the very real possibility that Reynolds was right about Catherine at this time he couldn't stop himself from shaking his head in disbelief, staring all the while at this man who had caused so much pain in recent past and still believed himself on the side of right. Instead of answering Reynolds, J.T. knocked hard on the connecting door, and left without a look back as soon as the guard opened it for him.