Beautiful Monster-The Exchange by Jeanne Bannon Read Free Book Online

woman to
love, which will end in yet another heartbreak. Why not abandon this
madness now?” His tone was devoid of emotion—a flat line of words.
    Lev shook his head in amazement. Why hadn’t he realized
yet how uncaring his brother was? Why did this callousness continue to surprise
him? He noticed Alexei’s wounds had healed—he was no worse for wear. Lev
switched gears, wanting to jab back at Alexei and summon up unpleasant emotions
in his brother. “Why are you so afraid of Boris?”
    Alexei splayed long fingers over his chest and threw his
brother a look of surprise. “If you don’t know the answer to that after what
you’ve just witnessed, then you’re denser than I thought,” he said over his
shoulder as he left the room.
    Lev followed him, and as he did, he tried to tune into
his brother’s thoughts but got nothing. Alexei was clever; he’d thrown up a
mental wall. There was more to it than what his brother was letting on. Lev
could feel it.
    “You’re going to tell me. I won’t take no for an answer.
You know you’re stronger than I am and always will be because you’re my maker,
but I have some power over you now.” Lev raised a brow.
    “You wouldn’t?” Alexei said, and Lev knew he’d read his
mind. A sigh of discontent rattled from his brother’s throat. “If you tell
Boris where to find me, he’ll…well, he’ll do something really awful to me. I
was lucky to get away! How stupid I was to take you there. You, my only
brother. See what I was willing to risk for you?”
    Then, seemingly without reason, his demeanor softened
and he said with a sigh, “It’s really my own fault. I should have taught you
better. Taught you the ways of the creature I’ve turned you into.” He wagged a
slender finger and shook his head. “But you were always the sensitive type.
Always with your books and your poetry and your writing. I thought you’d be
more like me by now. Perhaps it’s because you’ve never turned anyone.
You haven’t, have you? Surely, you would have told me?”
    Lev shook his head. “No, I haven’t and I never will.”
    He thought back to when he’d almost turned Carly—holding
her delicate wrist to his lips, his needle fangs drawing blood. But that was
out of desperation, a need to keep her with him. He couldn’t even do it then.
Shame came over him briefly at the thought of what he’d been tempted to do to
his beloved Carly. There was something dark living within him, something that
constantly tried to claw its way to the surface.
    “I knew it,” Alexei said, grinning widely. “If you’d
turned someone, you’d be changed. You’d be hardened and tougher like me and
like Boris.” He whispered Boris’s name as if there was power in just speaking
it.
    “But I am like you. I feed like you,” Lev said. He
didn’t understand his own motives in defending himself. He didn’t want to be
like his brother, did he?
    “You’ve never turned anyone and you’ve never killed, so
that’s where we are different, brother. As your maker, you’re my
responsibility, and as you well know, I’m not very responsible.” He laughed,
and it soon morphed into a giggle. “Time you learned to be a true creature of
the night, especially now.” Alexei placed a hand on Lev’s shoulder. It was a
tender gesture, but this time Lev bristled at his brother’s touch.
    “You will come with me tonight. We will feed together
again for the first time in a very long time. You can either turn someone, or…”
Alexei threw a hand in the air, pointer finger straightened as if he’d had an
epiphany. “Perhaps you’re ready for a kill?” A devilish gleam shone in his
eyes.
    Lev shook his head. “You go. I’d rather be alone.” His
words were hollow, and Alexei would see straight through them, but he was
afraid, plain and simple. There was too much of the old Lev, the true Lev,
still in him—enough to keep the darkness at bay for a while longer.
    Alexei furrowed his brow and shook his head.