Beast Master

Book five in the Nate Temple Series.

Beast Master

## Blurb

Nate's To-Do List: De-pants Ganesh. Drop-kick the Fae Queens in the chesticles. Shut down a Monster Circus. Oh, and host Friendsgiving for his guests—an Angel, Achilles, and Death, just to name a few. Easy-Peasy... But the Beast Master has come to town, and he's kidnapping shifter kids for his show. And the Queens of Fae have ordered a little deep-fried wizard for their holiday feasts.

And Nate is losing that last finger-hold on his sanity: hallucinating, and talking to creatures that no one else can see. The demon inside of him is getting stronger, fighting for dominance, and only one of them can survive.

But when Nate's extorted to rescue a lethal Chimera child from the Beast Master’s Circus, Nate’s only option is to partner with his inner demon, risking his very soul. But his friends begin to doubt and fear this new, darker Nate, taking matters into their own hands—even when that means standing *against* him.

With allies turned enemies, the Fae breathing down his neck, and a dangerous child’s life on the line, Nate must call upon, bully, and coerce new storybook legends and gods to save his traitorous friends from becoming the Beast Master’s next victims...

Discover what—if anything—Nate is willing to sacrifice to save the friends who betrayed him…

## Opening

*It was madness, bullets, arrows, and even a spear, flying every which way, pelting antique portraits of long-deceased family members, priceless vases, and other worldly objets d’art. A nearby glass-paned cabinet of curiosities was struck twice in quick succession. The cabinet was filled with dozens of random artifacts – an antique pair of spectacles, a watch, several figurines, a bullet casing, and a shot glass – to name a few. Another bullet winged off the corner of the cabinet as I ducked. Luckily, it didn’t break, the glass made of something stronger than your typical window. Magical glass, apparently. Amazingly, nothing had been broken. Yet.*

## Plot

Nate is hosting a Friendsgiving, a celebration to gather friends from all walks of life and to play an aggressive game of Nerf.  No magic allowed, his friends take the game to heart and almost destroy Chateau Falco.  Dean is not happy.  But, he and Death have prepared a feast and it’s time to celebrate!  At the request of Greta, everyone gives thanks in their own way.

It doesn’t last long before an uninvited guest shows up.  Rufus wants Nate to save his adopted daughter, a chimera!  Before Nate has a chance to answer, Gunnar attacks Rufus and breaks guestright, and Rufus binds Nate to his will via magic (he only has three days to help or he loses his magic).  Nate and Gunnar learn about the Beast Master who has invaded St. Louis and is setting up illegal fights among kidnapped supernatural kids.  Nate agrees to help but throws Rufus in the dungeon.

### Pause here a moment WARNING, Possible Spoilers Ahead

Dealing with Indie being gone, the “beast” that has invaded his mind, and now a task to save a child, Nate makes his way to the roof.  After a clever conversation with himself, Alucard has overheard him and thinks Nate has lost his mind.  Nate snaps and hangs Alucard over the side of the house.  Once he calms down, they discuss the events.

Barbie and fellow fairy Inky almost tackle Nate down and kill him.  Once again, he survives a friendly attack.  They discuss what is next and what is happening to Tory.  Did Tory receive fairy powers during the Grimm War?  Barbie and Inky let Nate know that the Queens of Fae are looking for Tory.  Nate discovers that the tree where Indie was buried is a gateway for supernaturals.  What next?  Oh!  Ichabod and Indie, in disguise, are terrorizing people at the airport.  News at 11.  Why did Indie not come home?  Nate is dismayed again with events.

Nate’s favorite spot at Chateau Falco is the Sanctorum.  He decides to give Othello a tour and they discuss things, including the new company, Grimm Tech.  Nate is happy about the news that the company is growing.

Van Helsing, Nate’s new ally, comes to visit.  Mallory, Death and Nate set up a welcome.  Nate needs a favor.  He wants Van Helsing to go undercover with the Beast Master.  Van Helsing agrees with hesitation. While there, Nate asks him to watch out for Grimm Indie!

Nate decides he needs more help and seeks out Baba Yaga, another new ally.  Baba Yaga’s familiar (the rooster hut with chicken feet) is dying.  Baba Yaga will help if Nate can save the familiar’s life.  All he needs to do is to get a god’s healing belt!

Before Nate leaves, he sees someone at the big tree!   No one believes him.

So, Nate takes Tory to go see Ganesh at a hot dog eating contest.  The places Nate must go!  Ganesh makes a deal for Nate to borrow the belt.  A race!  Ganesh on Krauncha (his huge pet mouse) versus Nate on Grimm.  Grimm begrudgingly lets Nate ride him but is unhappy about the abuse during the race.  With the help of Tory creating problems for Ganesh, Nate wins!  As a result of Tory revealing her powers, goblins attack them from Fae.  What next?

Back at Chateau Falco, Baba Yaga has brought her familiar for healing and Nate tends to him with the belt.  She gives information on the Beast Master that he needs.  Nate sees the albino humanoid again at the tree.  No one believes him.  Mallory, Dean and Othello are worried about Nate’s sanity.

Nate visits Gunnar at Shags where he is getting his haircut.  He asks for help but Gunnar turns him down.  He doesn’t have time for Nate’s latest mess.  They argue and Nate leaves.

Nate turns to the Huntress (see a pattern here) and they go hunting.  They encounter werehawks, vampires and a blue gorilla.  Working together, they take care of the problems. But Nate discovers that Gunnar has his own agenda and because of his mistaken actions, Ashley and a child have been kidnapped.  Nate and Gunnar battle in anger, Huntress saves Nate.  Nate decides that friendship is damned.  Back at Chateau Falco, Mallory, Othello and the Huntress confront Nate with HIS actions.  His Team Temple has gone dark.  And Nate has gone crazy.

After a conversation with Achilles at the bar, Nate realizes he needs capital to get an invite to the Beast Master’s circus.  Surprised that Alucard turns down blood, Nate and his latest crew head to The Vaults, the supernatural bank.  While there, a werecat robs the bank to get help with his kidnapped child!  At The Vaults, everyone must walk under a security mirror that reveals you completely.  As a result, Alucard sparkles so Nate calls him porcu-shine.  More is revealed, Gunnar is out for blood and the Beast Master has ties to the Syndicate.

Achilles, thinking Nate has gone bat crazy suggests that he talk to Eae or Hemingway (Death).  Instead, he turns to Dark Team Temple.

Nate, Alucard and the Huntress head off to Dick’s Sporting Goods for a meeting with Van Helsing.  While Alucard enjoys a sack of garlic and cheese nuts, Van tells Nate about getting a job with the Beast Master.  Nate discovers that there is a tie to the werecat who robbed the Vault.  He is happy that Van got a job.  An inside guy.  Van explains the fights and the process.  Van feels like he owes Nate so he sticks to the plan of being undercover. Before they leave, after knocking merchandise off a display, Huntress gets a new bow.

Back at Chateau Falco, Nate talks to Othello, realizing what a good friend she is.  Nate confesses that he is writing notes to the “White Room”.  She is more than worried about Nate and his latest choices.  Going down a dangerous path.   And why is Sir Muffle Paws acting so strangely?

Ichabod makes a surprise visit and mocks Nate.  They cross words about Indie and Nate’s activities.  As Ichabod leaves, Mallory and Rufus discuss things with Nate.  While there, Van Helsing arrives and he has been brutally beaten up by Gunnar!  Mallory refuses to heal him so Nate calls on his beast to help.  The beast is close to taking control and all of sudden, Nate is in Shiva’s house, where he was saved from his beast.  Shiva discusses events with Nate, including his encounter with his son Ganesh, and advises him.  Shiva suggests getting more power from his “home”.

Nate returns back to Chateau Falco where he overpowers his beast in a power struggle, betraying him and imprisoning him in a silver cane, and accepting the live entity of his home, Falco.  Overhearing his friends discuss him, he realizes he may never get them to understand what he’s dealing with.

Off to battle with the Beast Master, where shifters and more are battling; Raego, werecats and gorillas, Gunnar and vampires, Nate and chimera - it is total chaos.  Nate meets Boris. Then, he realizes that Van is holding Aria (one of the Reds), and Alucard ends up making a deal to release her for him.  All this plus blackmailing to kill Ashley.

Back at Chateau Falco, tensions rise but Nate reveals Falco’s secrets.  With the living connection to Falco, Nate can now show his friends the guy he saw at the tree, whose name is Carl. He is an Elder.  But, beware, with the Gateway destroyed in his battle with the beast, anyone can come through.  Carl assures that this is true and more Elders will come who want to serve Nate.  Achilles, Mallory, Gunnar, Othello, Raego, Huntress and Nate all discuss events and Achilles calls out Nate on hiring Van which upsets everyone.  Ichabod shows up and is shocked about Falco, he never connected with her.  Ichabod reveals that Indie has been kidnapped by the Beast Master too!

Final showdown at the Circus, the Beast Master’s fighting entertainment with plenty of sociopaths present.  First fights up: “Misha”vs Camilla, the chimera (Rufus’ daughter), Alucard vs Ashley and Sonya, Nate vs his own beast, whom he bargains with for both to live peaceably. Nate discovers that the truth behind Boris’ beast is his daughter.  Next battle up: Nate vs Boris, Tory vs Boris’ daughter.  Thankfully, Carl and friends to the rescue!

Nate, Alucard and Tory fall into Fae.  They are pulled in because of Tory’s power ties to the Fae.

They encounter both Queens and Nate’s beast fights for survival.  The Winter Queen is injured but Nate heals her with Ganesh’s belt.

Back to the circus; Rufus pulls Camilla to safety, Gunnar gets Ashley away, “Misha” is revealed to be Indie, the discovery of Tory and Alucard being powerful together, and the truth about Ichabod wanting the fighting to continue to bring down the Syndicate.  In all this, Indie has turned against Nate.  Nate battles Ichabod.

Nate arrives above the city to see a vision of the future.  The Four Horsemen are behind the vision of St. Louis totally destroyed, except for one church.  They want Nate to realize he is the vessel to save the city or be the start of the Apocalypse.   Is Nate a catalyst?

Back at home, Indie makes a visit but ends up attacking Othello.  Nate attacks Indie in anger. Tory reveals her plans to open school for shifters.  Death visits with Ganesh and Asterion; a gift is given to Othello for her safety.  Nate has lost Ganesh’s belt but Ganesh retrieved it.  Baba Yaga arrives and he is able to finish healing her familiar.  Nate is instructed to not feed the Elders and realizes that Team Temple is fractured.  To finish on a sour note, Indie was only there to get Nate’s cane, where his beast is being held prisoner.  The cane is now in Ichabod’s hands.