Beautiful Monster-The Exchange Read Online Free PDF

feel that monster calling to me, trying to pull me to
him. As for not moving around, well, we’re not on the run. Besides, staying put
is the reason why he hasn’t found me. Think about it, Lev. We are together, you
and I. We don’t see others of our kind. That’s how I kept word of my location
from spreading.”
    “Is Boris far from here?” Lev asked, anxiety creeping
into his voice.
    Alexei looked hesitant, not wanting to answer.
    “Is he far?” Lev asked again.
    “No.” Alexei’s reply came out like a sigh. “He’s here in
the city.”
    Lev’s eyes flashed with interest. “Really? Why would you
want to be so close to him if he’s such a monster?”
    Alexei patted his brother on the back. “It’s easier to
keep an eye on him when he’s near.”
    “So then at least tell me where he is. Carly and I can
go on our own. You’ll be safe, and with any luck, we’ll get what we need.”
    Alexei shook his head. “You’ve never set eyes upon this
beast. He’s unlike any other creature of the night. He’d kill you just as soon
as look at you. Worse still, with just one look he’ll know you’re my brother.
If he cannot creep into your mind and steal the information, he’ll torture you
into telling him where to find me.”
    Lev straightened and looked Alexei in the eyes. “I won’t
tell. You have my word.”
    “Why won’t you listen to me? He’s as ancient as they
come. Lev, if you’re looking for any kind of compassion, you won’t get it.
There is nothing human left in him.”
    “Then his wisdom is vast!” Lev said, jumping on Alexei’s
comment.
    “Yes, I will admit that, but”—Alexei placed a hand on
Lev’s shoulder—“do you not see the flaw in your plan?”
    Lev waited for his brother to continue, curious. Alexei
gave his head a little shake. That smile, the one that turned him from merely
handsome to mesmerizing, returned. “Whether I help you or not, I will end up
alone. If I refuse to help, you say you will leave, even destroy yourself, and
if I do tell you where to find Boris and suppose by some miracle vise he does
help, you’ll leave with Carly. I’ll lose you no matter what. I’ll be alone.”
His smile faded, and his hand fell to his side. “Look at me. Look at what I’ve
become. I don’t want to lose you, brother. There is no good in my life except
for you.”
    Lev let his anger and frustration with his brother fall
away and, against his better judgment, pulled Alexei into a hug, squeezing him
tight. His brother returned the embrace.
    “It’s not a flaw,” Lev said. “I’ve thought it through. I
know either way you’ll be alone, but really I’m the one without a choice. Life
without the woman I love would be no life at all. If you truly care for me as
you say you do, you’ll let me go.” He let his mental wall down, allowing Alexei
into his mind, and could see by the look on his brother’s face that he finally
understood.
    Alexei nodded and pressed his lips into a grim line of
dissatisfaction. “I’ll take you to Boris.” He sighed. “And if I manage to get
away from him, back to the relative safety of this home, I will be damning
myself to a life filled with Tonys. I shall have to make do with the boring,
mind-numbing company of pitiful mortals.”
    His brother’s heartbreak was almost palpable, but Lev
knew Alexei would get by, that he was made of tougher stuff than Lev was.
    “Shall we go then?” Lev asked.
    “Yes, yes but Carly mustn’t come. Best to keep her out
of harm’s way.”
    Carly had made her way out of the shadows and now stood
next to Lev. She hooked a hand through his arm and addressed Alexei. “He can’t
hurt me. I’m already dead, remember?”
     
    The trip into the city took only minutes. Alexei and Lev
were used to traveling as quickly as a thought, but Carly held her own. Now
that she was without the encumbrance of a physical body, she too was able to
speed through time and space.
    Once there, Lev realized they were in a clearing