Heart of Five: Part One: Reverse Harem Serial (Divinity Saga: Meg's Story Book 1)

by LA Kirk

  Also by LA Kirk

  Divinity Saga: Meg's Story

  Heart of Five Part One

  HEART OF FIVE

  PART ONE

  Divinity Saga: Meg's Story

  By L.A. Kirk

  HEART OF FIVE: PART ONE (DIVINITY SAGA: MEG'S STORY)

  COVEY PUBLISHING, LLC

  Published by Covey Publishing, LLC

  PO Box 550219, Gastonia, NC 28055-0219

  Copyright © 2017 by Covey Publishing, LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the writer, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Design Copyright © 2017 Covey

  Book Design by Covey, www.coverypublishing.com

  Copy Editing by Covey Publishing, LLC

  Printed in the United States of America.

  First Printing, 2017

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  "Are you sure you won't go to a specialist, Meg?" My mother's voice comes through the speaker phone on my dash. "This has never happened to anyone in our family before, and I've never heard of it happening anywhere else either."

  "I'll think about it, Mom," I lie. Instinctively, I know going to the doctor is a bad idea. My body shudders each time I consider it. "For now, I just need a mini vacation."

  "Well, be safe. And bring back souvenirs."

  "I will. Love you." As I tap the off button, I flip down the overhead visor to check myself in the mirror.

  Tears well up as I adjust the brown contacts in my eyes. I could blame the light reflecting in my visor mirror or the allergies I've never had before. Maybe the unfamiliar pollen found in the Michigan state park makes my eyes water. But the truth is that I'm scared and not sure what to do. This adventure I undertook might be my last hope.

  Ever since my twenty-fifth birthday, my eye color has slowly bled from brown to tangerine.

  No one noticed at first, but after a few weeks, I ordered brown contacts to cover up the change before too many people questioned the color. The contacts hide the change, but I know it's there, waiting for me to take the contacts out and to remind me I'm no longer normal. When I consider changing the contacts, my nerves creep up on me. Uncovering my new eye color brings with it low level panic. Paper or sheets cover most mirrors in my apartment now. As the change progressed, going out in public created more panic because I felt like I was being watched all the time.

  Before the change, I never had issues with being around people.

  Grabbing the hamburger and fries I bought after filling my gas tank, I check my appearance one more time, then climbed out of my car to enjoy my meal away from prying eyes.

  The state park I found to stop at near Coldwater Lake in Michigan seems like a quiet place with no one else around. Nice and safe.

  An empty picnic table sits about twenty yards off the parking lot under a cluster of oak and pine trees. Farther back, woods stretch out on either side. I walk over to the table and sigh with relief. The shade in the intense July heat along with the fresh air shifting around me from the slight breeze contrasts to the stuffy air-conditioned air from my car. I set my bag of food on the table, sit, and leaning back to absorb the surroundings, eyes closed as I relax for a few minutes.

  I ended up in Michigan out of desperation.

  To help me understand and research the reason why my eyes were changing color, I'd gone to the library near my apartment. But when I arrived there, something about searching on the internet caused the same feeling of stress as having people know the new color, or the idea of going to the doctor.

  Instead, I pulled multiple books on eye color, but those just explained the genetics behind basic colors like blue, green, and my brown. The only references I found outside of those books were in the fiction section. A fantasy encyclopedia noted people with strange colored eyes found in Northern Michigan and Central Florida. Despite finding the information in a book of make believe, I was desperate.

  With my growing anxiety of being followed, I chose to head to Michigan, only a day's drive from my home near Indianapolis.

  I took one of my vacation weeks to travel up here.

  Before long, chills run up my arms and down my spine.

  I stiffen from the sudden change. While my eyes were closed, I didn't hear any cars pull up or any hikers walk by. Regardless, I sense someone's focus on me.

  Slowly, I sit up and stretch, blinking a few times to adjust to the light. If someone watches me, I want to be as natural as possible to not tip them off. After grabbing my food bag, I hop off the bench and stroll over to the trashcan. In my peripheral vision, I catch a streak of black as it runs past my car, too small to be a man. I glance at my car and freeze.

  A large, black panther sits on the hood. With its amber eyes staring at me, it lifts its head and roars.

  Panicked, instinct takes over, and I whirl around and run for the woods behind the picnic table. I realize too late that this creature will out run me in seconds, but there are no alternatives. If I'm lucky, I can loop back around to the car before the cat turns me into lunch.

  Not far into the woods, I spot a split in the path that should lead back to the parking lot. I quickly check behind me, relieved not to see the animal. Maybe it didn't chase me? I take the hard right and stop dead in my tracks.

  A gray wolf sits in the middle of the path.

  His snarl shakes my insides, and I spin to flee down my original track, further into the woods. Twigs and branches bite at my face and tangle my feet as I haphazardly sprint along the path, my breath becoming labored the longer I run.

  Cramps in my legs cause my knees to give out.

  Tripping as I fall, I fling my hands up to protect my face. Landing in a pile of moss and wildflowers, my hands burn from the impact, but they don't feel like they're broken. My eyes dart around to see if the animals chased me.

  With luck, the two will distract each other and leave me to make it back to my car. Not that I know where that is now.

  I roll over and sit up, brushing leaves, twigs, and dirt from my knees. Breathing heavily, I shift so I can put my head down on my knees in an effort to calm myself. If the animals do find me, my body is too spent to fight them off. Fear and adrenalin pushed me this far, but my body has nothing left to give.

  After a few moments, the shaking stops, and my breathing returns to normal.

  Gazing around, I notice a small branch about three feet long and two inches around. I grab it for a makeshift weapon. Using the stick as a crutch, I push myself up and brush off my back and legs. For now, there are no signs of the panther or wolf, so I venture back the direction I came in hopes of finding a way out of the woods.

  Walking for what feels like miles, I break out of the tree line on the other side of the parking lot. My lone car hasn't moved, and the cat has disappeared. I trudge across the lot; all feelings of being watched gone.

  As I limp closer, something with the car appear
s off. I can't figure out what it is though. Once I reach it, I notice that the front two tires are flat, the nose of the car closer to the ground than the back. When I crouch to inspect them, I find ragged tears through the thick rubber.

  Would the cat slash my tires? I guess it's possible, but I've never heard of anything like that before. I walk around the car to search for further damage. The only other blemishes are paw prints on top of the car. I put my hand up against one and realize that the paw is as big as my hand. I shudder involuntarily at thought of that meeting my skin.

  Reaching into my pocket, I pull my phone out, find my insurance agent's number saved in my directory, and call. The receptionist answers the phone. "Thank you for calling Rove Insurance. This is Beth. How may I help you, today?"

  "Hi, Beth. This is Megan Little. I'm on a short trip. When I stopped to eat lunch, my tires were slashed. I only have one spare. Can you send someone out to help me?" I pace around the car as I speak with her, making sure nothing else is wrong.

  "I'm sorry to hear that, Ms. Little. Did you call the police? We will need the police report to be able to cover the damages under a vandalism claim." Her cheery voice grates on my nerves. Right now, I just want to get away from this place.

  My shoulders slump, realizing I may be stuck here for a couple of days while we get this sorted out. "No. I think a large cat might have done the damage."

  A soft snicker comes over the line before Beth responds, "Ma'am, large cats are not capable of slashing tires. Why would they damage more than one? Why didn't you scare the cat away?"

  Does she think I'm talking about a house cat?

  "Beth, there was a blank panther sitting on the hood of my car. When I ran away from it, the tires were fine. When I came back, the tires were slashed. I don't know that it was the cat, but I don't know what else it would be. I can't imagine someone hanging around a parking lot where a panther has been seen." Suddenly realizing how foolish I am, I unlock the car, jump inside, and slam the door shut. I scan the parking lot to make sure that the beast hasn't returned.

  "A what? Are you sure?"

  "Yes, I'm sure. The paw prints are on my hood. What do I need to do to get this fixed?" I put my head back on the headrest and sigh. This is going to ruin my plans.

  "I've already dispatched a police car to your location. They should be there shortly."

  I snap forward. "How do you know where my car is located?"

  "You registered your vehicle's satellite system to help lower your insurance amount. We are able to track you wherever you go."

  That was my dad's idea. I need to cancel that later, but for right now, relief settles in knowing the police are on their way. "So, what do I need to do after they get here?"

  "Once they give you the report or report number, just email that to this office. We will finish the paperwork I started to cover the new tires. I have also called out a tow truck to your location. They will take the car to one of the approved garages in the area. If it's only the tires, it shouldn't take more than a day to fix."

  That's good to know. I can still make it to my destination without much delay. "Thank you for your help. I'll send over the information as soon as I have it."

  "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

  "No, that should be it for now." I start to say bye and realize that I don't have anywhere to go, especially if the repairs can't be finished until tomorrow. "I take that back. Can you tell me where there might be a good place to stay for the night?"

  Clicking fills the ear piece as her nails hit her keyboard. After a few moments, she returns. "There are quite a few camping sites in the area. One place rents out cabins, and there is one motel, but it's full."

  I bang my head on the steering wheel. Today just keeps getting worse. "Thank you for the information. I'll see what the police officer recommends."

  "Good luck, and stay away from panthers that want to eat your tires." She giggles softly in the background.

  "I will. Bye." I hang up before she can laugh any more.

  Ten minutes pass before I see the police car and tow truck pull into the parking lot. At this point, it should be safe to exit the car. If the panther and wolf lurk around, the police officers can shoot them before they attack us.

  I climb out and stand by my car as the policemen pull up next to me. The tow truck backs in front of me. My toe taps slightly as the policemen sit in the car, playing with something on their dashboard.

  Finally, the men get out of the vehicle at the same time. The one closest to me waits by his door until the other comes around the car. Once they're together, they approach. The tow truck driver walks up at the same time.

  "Miss Little?" asks the blond officer with a name tag that reads Samuelson.

  "Yes, sir."

  "I'm Officer Samuelson, and this is my partner, Officer Jones. We received a call from your insurance company about an accident."

  "I would call it an incident and not an accident." I wave my hands at the tire next to me. "Both of my front tires were slashed while I was eating my lunch."

  "Are you all right? You look scraped up." Officer Jones glances over me, stopping on the scratches on my knees and my dirty clothes.

  "I'm fine, just a little banged up. This is going to sound strange, but a panther was perched on my hood." I swing my arm toward the paw prints located there. "I panicked and ran. As I was running, a wolf stood in the middle of the path. I ran until I collapsed. When I came back, both of my tires were shredded. Do you think the panther could do that?"

  The officers and tow truck driver exchange quick glances before Officer Jones responds, "We've not heard of any panther sightings in this area. Are you sure of what you saw?"

  "I'm positive. I saw a black streak run by and then when I looked over, this large, black cat was sitting on my hood. You can see the paw prints." I point again at the hood of the car.

  "All right. We weren't here, so we will take your word for it." Officer Samuelson's voice drips with sarcasm.

  He makes me more uncomfortable than the animals did. They just scared me.

  "I'll write up the report and give it to you. There isn't much we can do at this point." Officer Jones gets back in the car and Samuelson stands guard in front of it. I've never had to deal with police before, but this seems strange.

  "Ma'am," the tow truck driver calls for my attention. "I was going to try to change the tires out, but this damage looks like it might be deeper than the tire. I didn't bring any rims with me. I'm going to have to tow her back to my garage." The tow man shows me the damage. Gouges run across the metal rim.

  "All right. How long will that take? Is there a place to stay near your shop?" I wring my hands together. If those claws came in contact with flesh, there would be no chance for that person. I don't want to stay in a tent, knowing that animal roams free.

  "It might take me two days. I don't know that I have a rim that will fit this car. I have to check my inventory." He pokes at the rim like he doesn't believe what he sees. "There are cabins to rent near my place. I can drop you off there on my way. It would just be a short walk for you to come get the car once it's ready."

  A cabin should be safe. Not that the cat would have any reason to hunt for me. "Sounds good."

  While the policemen finish up their paperwork and the car is loaded on the truck, I grab my suitcase and overnight bag from the trunk and then wait patiently while everyone completes their tasks. The police officers finish first.

  "This should be everything you need. Here's my card in case you need more information from us." Officer Jones hands me a piece of paper as well as a business card.

  "Thank you for coming out here and helping me. I hope no one else runs into this kind of trouble." I fold the paper and slide it into my bag.

  "This is a peaceful place. I'm sure any others will be safe." He starts to put out his hand for me to shake, but Samuelson places a hand on his shoulder.

  "We have another call. Take care, miss." Samuelson turns and walks
back to the cruiser, his partner close behind.

  As the police car pulls away, the tow truck driver comes back. "I have her hooked up. We can head out now. Is that everything from your car?"

  "This should be all I need for a night or two. Thank you again for your help."

  "My pleasure. Once I drop you off, I will see what I can find. If nothing else, I can call some of my contacts and get the replacements by tomorrow afternoon."

  The man walks around the truck and helps me load my bags into the backseat, then closes the door for me and hurries around to his side of the truck. After we both buckle up, he pulls out of the state park.

  The drive only takes about ten minutes. We pass a small diner as well as a carryout mart and bait shop. On the other side of the street, a boat and Jet Ski rental place advertises summer deals.

  He pulls into a small parking lot with a lone cabin at the end of it. I climb out and grab my bag and suitcase, trying to halt the man from also getting out. "You don't need to come in with me. You've been more than helpful by giving me a ride here."

  "What kind of gentleman would I be if I left you stranded in the park? Here, let me help you with your bag." The old man takes my suitcase from me and heads to the cabin.

  Without knocking, we enter the dwelling, and a bell rings. I realize this must be the main office because a large counter breaks the room in half. We walk up at the same time an elderly woman comes out of the back room.

  "Bobby! So good of you to come see me. Who is this young lady?" The woman's smile reaches her eyes as she gazes at the man who accompanies me.

  "This is Miss Little. Her car needs some repairs, so she needs a place to stay until those are completed." The man doesn't take his eyes off the innkeeper as he speaks.