Brody's Beast Read online

  Books in This Series:

  Damon’s Deal, Book 1

  Wade’s War, Book 2

  Gage’s Goal, Book 3

  Calum’s Contact, Book 4

  Rick’s Road, Book 5

  Scott’s Summit, Book 6

  Brody’s Beast, Book 7

  Terkel’s Twist, Book 8

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  About This Book

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  About Terkel’s Twist

  Excerpt from Magnus: Shadow Recon

  Author’s Note

  Complimentary Download

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  About This Book

  Welcome to a brand-new series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer, where dark-ops SEALs have special senses and skills, needed to solve intrigue, betrayal, and … murder. A series with all the elements you’ve come to love, plus so much more, … including psychics!

  The journey back to consciousness hadn’t been fast or easy but, once awake, with weird images and voices in his head, Brody is all about getting back to the team and into the action. His senses are dulled, but, even then, he’s strong enough to know he has to leave the building where he’s been recuperating from the initial team accident. Not knowing any of the details doesn’t help, but it does mean trust is now the issue.

  Clary came on board to help when Brody was lost on the ethers—and to help her sister, Cara, who had taken on more than she could handle with Rick’s care. And even though Clary had been forewarned as to how this type of connection could work, Clary didn’t expect it to work with her and her patient, Brody.

  Having a healing pathway was one thing; … having a connection where you could hear thoughts, feel the same emotions, was quite another. And seeing how Brody fights to surmount the attacks on the team he loves so well only shows her how much more is possible—but not the event where she must test out her theory, … unless it’s to protect those she cares about.

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  Prologue

  Brody?

  He shuddered.

  Brody came the insistent voice yet again.

  He tried to block it out. It had been yelling and screaming at him for what seemed like forever. He’d done everything he could to make it go away, but still it was persistent. He tried once again to shut it down, but it came back once more.

  No, not this time came the calm voice. We need you. Get up, get out, come back.

  Brody thought it was Terk’s voice. He wasn’t sure, but maybe? It was hard to tell what Terk’s problem was.

  But, if Terk called, it meant that he needed something. And, if Terk needed something, Brody would be there for him. Except how could he be sure it was Terk?

  It didn’t really sound like him; it seemed a long distance away. And then he heard that woman’s voice again. “Who the hell was that?” Again came the softer voice.

  Come on, Brody. Wake up. Come on. It’s time to wake up. You’ve had a nice nap, but that time is over.

  He sighed and twisted. He wanted to sleep some more. He wanted to tell them that he was still too tired and that he still needed sleep, but he didn’t think they would care. He tried to block them out yet again, but the male voice returned, insistent and hard.

  No, that’s enough now. Come out now, on your own, or come out with our help.

  Brody slowly opened his eyes, only to see nothing. It was just black out there. He snapped his eyelids closed again. “See? I tried,” he muttered.

  The female laughed. Oh no you don’t. You don’t get off so easy, she murmured. Try it again.

  “No.”

  Yes.

  “No.”

  Yes. And I’m glad to see you’ve got enough strength to argue, Terk said telepathically.

  Brody froze. “Terk?”

  Yeah, bud. We’d sure like to see you come back out of where you’ve been hiding.

  “Hiding?” he snapped. Struggling higher and higher through the fog, he fought. How dare Terk say Brody was hiding? He’d never hidden in his life. He always took every fight head-on. There was no hiding in his life. Ever.

  When he slowly drifted higher and higher, he looked around. “Where am I?” he cried out, feeling the first vestiges of fear. “It’s dark.”

  And this time, the woman’s voice, with something almost recognizable about it, soothed him. We’re here, she stated. We’re waiting for you.

  He felt relief at hearing her voice again, but it was couched in a near panic because he didn’t know who she was or where she was. “Where am I?” he asked, his voice almost strangled.

  You’ve been in a coma, she stated calmly. And we need you to come back now.

  “And if I don’t want to?” he asked almost bitterly.

  Too bad, she murmured. You need to. Unless, of course, you continue to hide.

  He twisted, surging higher and higher again. “I don’t hide,” he growled, a darkness in his soul overriding everything that they were doing. “I don’t know who you are or why you would say that to me,” he snapped, “but I don’t hide.”

  Then suddenly it looked like he was … here. He opened his eyes and saw a room. Relief washed through him. It wasn’t just darkness. It wasn’t a never-ending unwavering blackness surrounding him. As he fully opened his eyes, he looked around. He was in a room, a small bedroom. And he was alone. “Where am I?” he whispered.

  You’re safe, a woman said quietly. And I need you to stay safe. All your friends are about to be attacked, and so are you.

  He struggled to toss off all the cloudiness and a bit of fog in his brain. “I don’t understand,” he muttered. “Where are you?”

  I’m here, she stated calmly. You can talk to me anytime.

  Just then a woman walked into his room. She stopped, looked at him, and smiled. “There you are,” she greeted him.

  He frowned. The voice is different. “You sound surprised.”

  “Sure,” she replied. “I wasn’t expecting to see you awake.”

  He looked at her hard. “Who were you expecting to see?”

  She shrugged. “Good question, but not you. I thought you were a goner.”

  “Well, I’m not,” Brody snapped, his tone harsh. “Where are the rest of my friends?”

  “They’re around,” she said. “I’ll call the doc.”

  “No doctor,” Brody muttered. “I’m fine.” And he slowly sat up.

  “No, no, no, you don’t,” she cried out in alarm.

  He glared and ignored her. “I’m getting up,” he declared, “and I don’t think you are capable of stopping me.” Then that voice, the one from his psyche, the one that kept talking to him, the one that called him home, whispered to him.

  What about me though? she asked. I am capable of stopping you.

  He looked around in alarm. “Who said that?”

  The nurse looked at him in surprise. “Nobody said anything,” she noted cautiously, frowning at him. “That’s just a sign that you’re not quite back with us yet,” she murmured. “Please relax.”

  He shook his head. “That’s not happening,” he argued, as he managed to get his legs over the side of the bed. But he was weak; damn, he was weak. He glared as he looked around at the room. “Where am I?”

  The nurs
e looked at him. “I’ll call Terk.”

  “You do that. And tell him to bring me some damn clothes.”

  And, with that, she took off.

  The voice in his head laughed. Cute, she said. You’re worrying about your hairy butt after everything you’ve been through?

  He frowned. “Who the hell are you, and how do you know I’ve got a hairy butt?”

  Because I’ve seen it, she teased cheerfully. It’s kind of cute too. We’ll talk when I get there.

  “No,” Brody argued. “I don’t know who you are or what you’re doing, but my team is in trouble. I have to go to them. So, if you want to talk, it’ll wait until afterward.”

  Chapter 1

  Something hit Brody and hit him hard. It was like an unseen force, sapping all the strength out of him. Brody collapsed back on the bed.

  “I don’t know what the hell just happened,” he said out loud. He knew no one was in the room, but the question was more to himself than anyone else. He knew he was alone, yet …

  “If somebody did this to me, … you’ll pay for it.” He tried to inject a serious threat into his tone. The conviction was evident, and, if anyone was out there at all, they had to know he wasn’t kidding. And he wasn’t.

  He didn’t know what the hell was going on, but that voice in his head was beyond scary.

  You shouldn’t ever be scared of the voices in your head, the woman stated calmly. I’m only here to help.

  By knocking me out?

  If you get up and run too quickly, she noted, you’ll knock yourself out.

  I guess I’ll learn then, won’t I?

  Ah! Stubborn, aren’t you?

  Independent, he argued.

  After a moment of silence, she continued. Fine, now try it again.

  He groaned as he pushed himself up, but now it felt like he had weights around his ankles and his chest, all holding him down. I don’t understand. Why does everything feel like it’s so far away? So heavy?

  Because you’ve been in a coma for a long time, she explained in exasperation. Do you remember me telling you that?

  Sure, you might have told me, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily believed you.

  She snorted. Of course not. I mean, why would you listen to anybody, especially anyone who is trying to help? Are you always this obnoxiously stubborn?

  He almost smiled at that. Probably. After a moment of sitting upright, he said, There. See? I’m doing much better.

  Sure you are, she quipped. You do realize you’re talking to yourself in your head, right?

  He frowned at that. Aren’t you the one who just told me that I shouldn’t be afraid of the voices in my head?

  Sure, she agreed, as long as you’re comfortable with it.

  Well, I was comfortable, he noted in exasperation, until now. Sounds like you’re trying to put ideas in my head.

  Nope. … I just want to make sure that you don’t do anything, too fast, and hurt yourself.

  Now you sound like Terk and the rest of my team.

  Good, she replied. I imagine those guys care about your condition and are just looking out for you.

  Of course they are, but I also know that they need me. Something has gone wrong in our world, and I can’t count on anybody.

  That’s sad, she murmured, but I do understand.

  He frowned. How do you know what it’s like? he asked, a note of challenge in his voice.

  I didn’t say I know what it’s like, she corrected him, but I do understand what it’s like to not trust anyone around you.

  He nodded at that. That experience is not just unique to our team, I’m sure.

  No, … and the minute you’re different, people are scared of you, she noted, with the same sadness.

  You mean, like this ability to talk to people in their heads?

  That and being able to knock you out, if I need to. A flat edge filled her voice.

  He believed her. She was formidable. He frowned. I really would appreciate it if you didn’t do that anymore.

  Don’t be an idiot, she snapped. And look after yourself, and I won’t have to. I’m only here to help you and to keep you safe.

  He had to ponder that. And that would mean that you know Terk.

  She laughed. Yeah, I do. Although it’s a bit more distant than that.

  That’s confusing, he told her. What do you mean?

  She hesitated. It’s really through my sister that I’m here.

  Okay. … So Terk didn’t ask you to help me?

  Terk asked my sister to help, she explained, but I’m here instead.

  Your sister couldn’t help?

  She could, but it was also taking a lot out of her. You have to know that she’s helping not just you. So I took over your care.

  And the nurse out there?

  It never hurts to have a physical representation of the medical profession, she noted, even if we don’t use them much.

  Oh, wow. So are you not a medical professional?

  I am, she stated. I’m a doctor but a fairly unusual one.

  In what way?

  Because I do this kind of energy work, she explained. My sister does it as well, but she’s not a doctor.

  So, one trained and one not?

  There’s no formal training for stuff like this, she added, with a note of humor. And you, of all people, should know that because you have very similar talents, if not necessarily in the same field.

  He struggled with that for a moment. You know a lot about me, and that makes me uncomfortable.

  Yeah, I understand that, she agreed, but really not a whole lot I can do to make you feel better about it. There are things that you need to do, things that you need to get a move on with, in order to keep everybody moving in your world.

  He frowned at that. Are you deliberately trying to talk in circles?

  She groaned. I don’t know the circumstances around your team. I was hoping that you did because you seem so adamant.

  He was trying hard to follow her words. I just know that I went down in unusual circumstances, and, now that I’m awake, I suspect that there are way more problems than I even know about.

  At that, another voice interrupted.

  Clary, how is he doing?

  He’s doing better. Clary addressed Brody. Meet Cara, my twin—well, triplet really, but our brother died. Clary shifted her attention to her sister. Cara, he’s awake, but almost combative.

  Great. Cara gave a heavy sigh. That just means he matches up with the rest of this group.

  Who’s Cara to my team? Brody asked.

  Well, you could say, I’m Rick’s partner, she murmured gently. He was in the same kind of situation as you are. I went in deep to try and save him, and then, when I came out, well, let’s just say that we’d formed a bond that we hadn’t really expected.

  It took a moment for Brody to digest it all. Wow, he murmured. Is he okay?

  He’s recovering nicely, and hopefully you will too. Everybody has been worried sick about you.

  You’ve been in and out, Clary noted, and, when Cara lost you in the ethers, it was pretty grim for a while.

  Thanks for that, Cara said, with a gasp. Nothing like throwing me under the bus.

  Hey, that’s what you told me, Clary stated. If you want to rephrase, go ahead.

  Fine, Cara replied. Brody, when you came looking for help, I was busy with Rick at the time and wasn’t sure if you were a friend or foe. She paused. So I couldn’t give you much more attention, while I was trying to keep Rick alive. Then, when I found out who you were and went back for you, I couldn’t find you again.

  That’s fine. Thanks for taking care of Rick. And I am here, aren’t I? His voice was warming. Rick and I are very good friends. I would never want you to prioritize me over him. Brody hoped he sounded sincere because he meant it.

  After a moment of silence, Cara laughed. Well, he said something similar to me at one point as well, so apparently you guys are very much alike.

  We are, and, as long as
he’s doing okay, then I’m grateful, Brody stated, his tone more formal than he expected. But it was choking him up to think that Rick had been in the same kind of boat as he was. What about the rest of my team?

  Well, you can talk to them yourself soon, Clary murmured. Terk is on his way to you.

  He probably shouldn’t do that, Brody stated in alarm. I think our team is under attack.

  It is, and it has been for days, Cara agreed, weeks, I guess. It’s ugly, but you’re the last one who needs to be brought back to full consciousness. You were lost for a while, which is one of the reasons I asked my sister to go fishing for you.

  Fishing, Brody repeated, tasting the word. What an odd expression.

  Maybe, but it’s what Clary does best, Cara added. She’s stronger than I am in some areas, particularly now that I’m much more connected to Rick.

  Well, it’s a fascinating thing to talk about, and hopefully I’ll get a chance to see you face-to-face and to thank you. At that moment, Brody heard noises in the other room. At almost the same time moment, the voices in his head blinked out. He frowned at that, hating the sensation of potentially losing some grasp on what was going on.

  *

  When the door opened next, Terk strode toward him, a big grin on his face. “Now that’s a sight for sore eyes.” His arms outstretched, Terk came right next to Brody.

  Brody gave him a weak smile but was eager to accept and to return the hug. “God, I feel like I’ve been run over by a full fleet of semis.”

  “You almost were,” Terk admitted, “and, if it weren’t for the talented women who have joined our team”—he seemed out of it for a second, then continued—“I don’t think you would have survived.”

  “Well, if I was lost forever in that cold darkness,” Brody stated, “I can tell you that’s not a place that anybody wants to stay.”

  “Do you remember anything?”

  “Not a whole lot.” He studied Terk. “You look like you haven’t been affected at all, and yet I feel like I’ve been gone for weeks, if not months.”

  “You have been,” Terk agreed quietly. “I did get through the initial attack better than all of you,” he added. “And I’m not even sure why necessarily, but finally now everybody but you is back on their feet.”