by P. A Ross
"Do you not think they're capable of senseless acts of revenge and then lie about it to cause more confusion? Who knows what is really happening in that organisation? If Cyrus is South, he hates you enough to have killed her. They may have hoped it would destabilise you for when he came to fight for the throne."
"We hadn't even met Cyrus at that point. Bramel said it definitely wasn't them. He also suggested other people would benefit from Scarlett's death who made it look like the Turned killed her."
Thorn's eyes narrowed at me. "So who would that be or should I take a wild guess?"
"Bramel said, you would gain the most from her being out of the way? You never liked her. I asked him whether he believed it to be you. And he said yes, it is the type of thing you are capable of."
Thorn crossed her arms. "Bramel is right. It is the type of thing I am capable of. But in this case, it was nothing to do with me. We have made a Union." She held up her ring finger with the silver ring of Thorns I gave her. "That was enough for me to know she was no longer a rival."
"There is more. He also said that you and he were once an item."
She shook her head. "This again? You accuse me of jealousy and being unable to let go of the past. At least everything I did was before we were together. In fact, it was before you were even born. And the answer is yes, there were several times we were together. As I said before, I was trying to find a way of reproducing our race. If no Dragan male was capable, I wondered whether a Turned male would be able. The issue may not be of female Dragan fertility, but male Dragan fertility. So I wondered whether Bramel, being removed from the Dragan bloodline but being close enough in magic as being a first-generation Turned, might be capable. But it wasn't to be."
"I am not jealous. I did have a moment when he told me. But I realise this was before our time together. I remembered what you told me about trying to continue the Dragan race. I just wanted to know if it was the truth."
"I am not lying to you about Scarlett. And I have told you the truth about Bramel and me."
"Okay. Sorry to have asked. And you realise why I had to ask this alone."
"Yes. It's not a question for the general public."
"So are we all good?" I asked and smiled.
"Well, if there were a couch in this room, I would make you sleep on it. As there isn't, you will have to share the bed with me tonight."
I was disappointed. "Okay, I understand. It's been a long day and I'm tired, and I would like to get some sleep then."
"Yes. Daylight approaches and we need a rest," Thorn replied, and started getting changed for bed.
I went around the other side of the bed and started to remove my clothes. Thorn climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over herself and turned her back on me. I turned off the light by the door and shuffled around to my side of the bed. I climbed in and looked at the back of her head. It's not how I imagined the end of my night once reunited with her, but I could do with the sleep and I was sure she would forgive me eventually. I closed my eyes and let the exhaustion of the battles take over and the randomness of my thoughts was drifting me into sleep.
My lips tingled, and I opened my eyes to Thorn's smiling face. "You don't try very hard, do you? Of course I want to make up before we sleep."
My tiredness evaporated in an instant. I leaned forward and kissed her and put my arms around her waist, and then rolled her onto her back. She kissed back and placed her hands on my back. I stopped kissing for a moment and smiled, and she beamed back. "I still have a lot to learn," I said.
She stroked her hand down my back. "Don't worry. I'm happy to teach you, starting from now." She kissed me again and rolled me over, so she was on top.
Afterwards, we slept the whole day through and partway into the next night. I guess I needed sleep. When I woke at about 10 PM, I was human again, or should I say not fully Dragan anymore. Thorn woke with me. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me over to her and kissed me again. "So another transformation and another step to becoming a full Dragan. I guess there won't be many more times I will be with you as a human in the future. I will miss it. I have grown to like you in this more vulnerable state."
I didn't know what to say to her comments. I hadn't noticed a change of being less vulnerable when Dragan. Physically yes, I was obviously stronger. But it was still me. I was still full of the same emotional insecurities, whether Human or Dragan.
She ran her hand across my cheek and then wrapped her hands around my back and pulled me on top of her. "I want to make sure we remember these times together."
I understood and kissed her.
We made love again, but this time it was more tender than when we were both Dragans. I think she worried about hurting me. It gave her an excuse to behave differently.
I lay in bed, regaining my breath, while Thorn got up and headed to the shower block. I decided I needed a shower as well. I headed out the door and found a pile of green army clothes by the wall. I took them and headed to the showers.
I showered and changed into the new clothes. I stood in front of the mirrors over the sinks, taking in my altered body. Another injection and another physical change. The change wasn't as pronounced like the first few, but my forearms and hands were bigger from where I had pushed the dragon energy into them. I required a few more injections to be fully transformed. I doubted I would physically change much more, but inside the genetics would improve and my abilities grow. I headed back down the corridor to find the rest of the gang.
I wandered down the grey soulless corridors listening for them. Further down, voices echoed down the corridor, and I followed them around the corners until an open double doorway led into a large room with several round tables in the middle, and long tables against the wall with hot metal containers and jugs of drink. The smell of bacon, sausages and eggs steamed out of the metal. The thought of cooked food lifted my spirits and awoke my stomach. The gang all sat together on one of the circular tables closest to the food. Giles and Max were talking, and Rip was in deep conversation with Thorn and Cassius.
Thorn looked up as I entered the room and winked. Rip jumped out of his chair and walked over. "Come in and grab a seat, I have managed to get us a bottle of red wine. We must keep up with our training."
He opened his arms up, hugged me and kissed either side of my cheeks. All that time in France must have rubbed off on him.
"Good to see you as well. But I will pass on the red wine for once."
"Okay, more for me then. You are my star pupil, after all. But don't forget to keep up your training."
Giles and Max rose out of their seats as well. Cassius walked over and shook my hand. "Good to see you back with us, little man. Thorn dragged you off last night before I had a chance to welcome you back."
"Thanks, Cassius, it was great to see you all came for me."
Max walked over followed by Giles who hung back a little. Max slapped me on the shoulder. "I knew you would be okay. I have seen you fight before."
"Thanks, Max. I can always rely on you."
Max stepped to one side to leave Giles standing alone. Max walked over to Rip and Cassius. "Guys, we are taking in the night air for a while. Stretch our legs a bit. It's only one night after the full moon, so it's good for me to burn off any transformation energy. And I promised these guys a race to answer the age-old question, Dragan vs Werewolf. I will give them a head start," Max said, and followed Rip and Cassius out of the room, leaving me with Giles and Thorn.
Thorn's phone rang. "Hi, Mary. Just give me a minute to go somewhere quiet." She waved to us both and walked out of the room, leaving Giles and me alone.
Giles smiled. "I think we have been left alone to talk."
"Okay. Is there a problem? I thought we were all good or at least on the road to amends."
"We are all good. Best friends again. But I need to tell you something. Let's sit down," he said and returned to the table.
I followed him over and pulled out a chair to sit next to him. He pulled out his chair, so we
were face to face.
"Well best spit it out old friend," I said.
Giles took his cup of coffee and drunk it down. "I am leaving with Max."
I sat upright in my chair. "Okay. Why? I thought you would stick around and help us fight, get your revenge. Your knowledge of the Turned and Hunters will be invaluable to us."
"I know. But I can still help even if not with you guys. I need time to come to terms with what happened. Max is the best person to help with it, as he understands everything about being a werewolf. I'm not as strong as you. I am only human again once the transformation is over."
"But you've changed. You're bigger and stronger as well."
"Yes. The werewolf transformation alters every person physically, so I am stronger and more powerful than the average human, just as Max is, but in human form it's not enough to fight against the Turned. Max is worried you guys will get me killed."
"Max is a worrier. But he may have a point. I would like to have you about, but I don't want to put your life at risk either."
"Max is going to tell me the truth about being a werewolf, and if I want to permanently change, he will do it."
"You want to change for good?"
"Maybe. Do you want to be a Dragan for good?"
"Yes. But it's different."
"Why?"
"Being a Dragan is similar to being human regarding my body, it's just more powerful. But being a werewolf is a complete change."
"I get what you are saying, but the feeling of being a wolf is amazing, being one with the wild is a feeling of total uninhibited freedom. But it does come at a cost, the change is horrifically painful, and it is easy to get lost in the animal instinct."
"Giles, it's your choice, my friend. I will understand whatever you decide. I will always have your back from now on. I am so sorry for what happened to you and your family. It's my fault. It was me they wanted on that day at school. Then I abandoned you and never came back for the trial, which would have saved your mum."
"I know and I understand you had your own problems. It is clear to me now. And when you could, you took revenge for me. Thorn and Mary are going to pull some strings and will find a way to get my mum out. You have already taken revenge on the O'Keith family for me. Just Kieran left to deal with. We can sort that one out together."
"Okay, but no killing. I also think we should pay a little visit to Mr May and give him a fright, he could have protected us, as our teacher it was his job."
"I agree. The time will come when we can tie up all the loose ends."
I stood up and so did Giles. I stretched out my hand, and he shook his head and put his arms around me. I hugged him back. It was good to have my best friend again.
Thorn walked back into the room, putting her phone into her pocket. "Good. You've spoken?"
"Yeah, it's all sorted. What did Mary want?"
"Mary has a proposition for us."
"Cool. We have a plan then on how to fight the Hunters and Turned."
"Yeah. Pack your bags. We are flying back to England tonight."
"Cool. Then what?"
"We are going back to school."
Thank you for reading
Did you enjoy it? Did you love it? Then tell everyone.
Writing a review really helps to get the word out.
Reviews are the life blood of books and authors.
They are quick and easy. It's fangtastic to get them.
The link takes you to the review page.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0847KZJKD
Other books by P.A.Ross on Amazon.
http://www.amazon/P.A.Ross
I Am Fury
Mary-Anne is on cloud nine – a loving husband, an adorable son, a positive pregnancy test. Perfect. But to protect her family, she must keep a dark secret.
On the way to work, a coven of warlocks kidnaps and sacrifices her into the fiery pits of Hell. In the smouldering abyss, the Devils' Gaolers are relentless in her torture, seeking out her darkest fears. This fear channels back to the mortal plane and fuels the warlock's dark, terrible magic. Yet, the warlocks crave ultimate power, requiring more sacrifices – her husband and son.
But how can she save her family when trapped and tortured in eternal damnation? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
http://www.amazon/I-Am-Fury
Sample - Chapter One
Mary-Anne
The houses on the narrow terrace street looked familiar to her. But instead of the normally organised parking along each kerb, smashed and burnt out cars littered the road. The car in front a twisted smouldering wreck; another had a bullet hole through a blood splattered windscreen. All the houses carried similar violent scars of broken windows and smoke billowing out into the dark. The house on the corner had the entire first floor missing. Its debris swirled across the street, whipping about in the cold night air.
The cold breeze cut into her body and brought with it a rotten smell. She curled up her nose and tried not to breathe through it, and wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. Her flesh on flesh squelched. She held out her arms and they were coated in blood. Her red hands trembled and pulse surged. She inspected the rest of her body to discover it naked and soaked in blood. She screamed and bolted down the street to the safety of home, her blood matted hair slapping into her face and bare feet burning on the cold rough concrete.
Ahead, the body of a woman lay twisted with the torso facing the opposite way to her legs; her eyes and mouth stuck wide and hands held out as if to defend. On the other side of the street, a man lay face down, with blood pooled around his head and a severed leg a few yards up the street. Hacked body parts littered the rest of the street, their rotten stench assaulting her nostrils.
She sprinted harder, but in her path a middle-aged woman and pre-teen girl, with ripped and blackened blood splattered clothes, were crouched over a prone man. They sobbed over him, and his laboured breath steamed upwards. The woman placed her hand on his cheek, and his last breath blew out. The women broke into a stream of tears and slumped over the body, taking one last moment altogether.
Mary-Anne approached, bloodied hands held out. "Please, help me."
They turned around; lines of tears streaked down their dirty faces. The young girl screamed.
"Get away," the woman shouted and hauled the girl onto her feet.
"Please, help me," she said, reaching out again.
The woman yanked the young girl's arm, and they ran down the street into darkness.
"Wait," she shouted after them, but two screams echoed back and then abruptly stopped. Then the dead man's hand slipped off his stomach, showing his fatal injury, a stab wound through his gut.
Footsteps dragged along the street and groans echoed from the dark corners. She twisted around as shadowy figures shuffled forwards. She spun to run away. But the twisted torso of a woman jerked into the light. Her body and head fixed at an angle to her legs. A man, with a bullet hole in his head and glass embedded into his face, lurched into reach. The dead man on the floor jerked limb by limb to his feet. His eyes veiled in a white cloud. The newly dead had arisen and closed in on every side. The whites of their undead eyes glared at her and hands groped inches away.
She curled up in her arms ready to die, but the zombies stopped, recoiled and pointed. "You."
#
She jumped awake, sitting bolt upright in bed, heart pounding. Her arms wet, blood? She twisted around and turned on the bedside light to check. Thankfully, sweat coated her arms instead. Her whole body was soaked from the night terrors. To her side, her husband Thomas, turned around. His muscular shoulders and chest uncovered. His black hair ruffled. He opened one eye. "Your nightmare?"
"Yeah," she said, trying to control her breathing.
"How scary is being naked on the bus? You nearly hit the ceiling that time."
"I know," she replied, lying back down.
"Take a deep breath. It's just a dream. Night," he said and wrapped an arm around her.
&nb
sp; "Night," she replied and slid into his protective embrace.
###
Amazon Book Link
http://www.amazon/I-Am-Fury
If you wish to know about my other books, or find out about future releases, then there are a number of ways I can be contacted.
To get the FREE books shown below, chance to win new books, exclusive sample chapters to new books and cover reveals, then contact me via my blog.
http://www.thornsneedles.com/p/contact-me.html