Page 19 of Beast of the Bayou

I hold my breath, my fingers still curled around the desk.

Ms. Lenora's voice grows quieter. "The night they planned to leave…it all went to hell. Stanford found out. He had paid men to watch her. They were ambushed before they could leave. Her lover fought. Killed two of Stanford's men easily. In the melee, Stanford managed to inject him with a sedative that weakened him. After that…he couldn't fight them all."

I press a shaky hand to my chest, an impending sense of doom washing over me.

"They killed him. Cut his head right off him. Then tossed him in the swamp. She was forced to watch it all happen." Ms. Lenora looks at the photo on the dresser again, her voice soaked in sadness. "It does something to the heart when you have to watch the only man you've ever loved die right in front of you. Lucinda felt hopeless. Alone."

Tears spill from my eyes. I think about Solomon. Silence fills the room.

Ms. Lenora wipes her eyes. "Poor thing. Afterwards, Stanford dragged her to the car kicking and screaming. Locked her in this room heartbroken and told her he would raise the baby as his own. Her father…" Ms. Lenora lets out a bitter snort. "Waste of a man. He just went right along with it. Didn't want to tarnish the family's name." She reaches for another diary. A blue leather cover. "This one begins after Solomon was born. Right around the time she hired me on. It's a hard read. A mother's love and the fear for her child. Stanford wasn't kind to Solomon."

"Did he hurt him?" I ask.

"He didn't spare the rod, I'll tell you that much."

My heart breaks even more. "How old was he when he started…"

"Seven." Ms. Lenora fills in. "That was when the signs first started appearing. His eyes changed. His hearing and sense of smell became heightened. He got stronger. Faster. It angered Stanford. Made him bitter and vengeful." She turns to the last page of the diary and shows me. "This was her last entry."

I think he's going to kill me. I have to protect my son.

Her voice lowers. "She sent me to the store even though we had a freezer full of food. Told me to take Solomon with me and get him some ice cream and a burger from the diner. She must've known. When we came back, he called out to her. Wanted to show her his new toy. He tried to run to the third floor, but something felt wrong in my spirit. So I sent him out back to play…and that's when I found them. Her right on this bed—" she points to the bed. "And him right outside." She points to the door. "Lord, I'll never forget that day. The way he cried." Tears spill down her cheeks. "I thought he would never stop."

Rubbing my chest, I fight past the burn in my throat to speak. "Ms. Lenora, what does this all mean?"

She takes my hands. "I think you know, Lila. You feel it. You both do. You coming to this town wasn’t by chance. Me looking for help. You seeing that ad. None of it was coincidental. It was all fated. You were led here. To Bayou Mourne. To him."

"I-I…" I choke on my words.

"Shhh." Ms. Lenora rubs the tops of my hands slowly. "Don't try to figure it out now. It's a lot to process. But just know that destiny has a funny way of putting you exactly where you need to be, and who you need to be with."

Chapter 9: Solomon

I've avoided them all. Kept my door locked and spent much of the day pacing. My appetite was nonexistent. Well, that was a lie. The only thing I craved was her. My body burned for her now. It took all my willpower not to leave this room and pull her back into my arms.

I blew my nose until it was raw to get the scent of her out of it. Plugged up my ears with tissue to drown out the sound of her heartbeat. Nothing was helping. Lila was embedded in my skin. There was no way I could live under the same roof as her. Not without going crazy.

The day ended and now darkness has settled in. Standing shirtless on the balcony, I close my eyes and try to still my mind. A gentle knock at my door interrupts my silence. I already know it's her. I can feel her. Turning my head, I stare into the room at the door.

She knocks again. "Solomon?"

I don't respond. Maybe she'll think I'm sleeping and go away. I can’t face her right now. I'm not sure if I can control myself anymore.

But she doesn't stop. She knocks again, mumbling: "Please, Solomon. Please let me in. I need you."

I can smell the wetness seeping out of her and coating her lips.

My mouth waters.

I can taste her.

Fuck…I can already taste her on my tongue.

I need her. Every part of her.

Unable to stop myself, I rush towards the door, my canines fully descended. Snatching it open, our eyes lock. She's standing there in a white floor length nightgown that makes her look like an angel. Her hair is fluffy and surrounding her face like a dark cloud. Her chest rises and falls rapidly.

She lets out a slow breathe. "Your eyes are glowing," she whispers breathlessly.