The Aberrants Box Set (Books 1-5)

by Sarah J. Stone

  Bradley surged upwards, tilting his hips at a new angle that hit something delicious within her. Jaelle jolted, a loud, frantic moan issuing from her lips as he picked up his pace and started to pound into her.

  Never one to leave things half-done, he gripped her hip with one of his hands while the other reached between them, his fingers discovering that sensitive point at her apex between thrusts. The extra pressure there was bordering on too much, but she didn’t fight it, instead letting it drive her higher and higher toward her own release.

  All of her stressful thoughts, worries of betrayal, and what exactly was to come fell aside, tumbling every which way from her conscious. There was only Bradley and Jaelle. Nothing else.

  It didn’t take more than a handful of minutes for her climax to spring itself upon her, stealing her breath and swallowing up her conscious like a tornado. She cried out, gasped, panted and her muscled contracted so hard she feared she might break. When she came down, Bradley was still in his rhythm.

  “I need a moment,” she breathed, wiping sweat from her brow. “Are you almost there?” Not that she was complaining, but normally Bradley wasn’t able to outlast her by more than a beat or two. But as far as she could feel, he wasn’t showing any of his usual signs of release.

  “No,” he admitted, smiling up at her. “It always takes me a bit for a second go. Change positions?”

  It took her mind a second to realize he was asking if she was ready to move and keep going, but she nodded, allowing him adjust her on the sleeping bag as he wished.

  She ended up on her knees, head pressed into the pillows she had thrown in earlier. Her hips were ready for the reprieve, and her back appreciated the soothing strokes Bradley’s hands made along her spine.

  She sighed happily as his lips joined in on the mini-massage, soothing the tightened muscles there. After a minute, she realized the Hunter wouldn’t continue until she said she was ready, so she tilted her head and murmured her consent.

  He wasted no time sliding back into her like he belonged. And he did. Unequivocally, she knew there had never been anyone like this man behind her and there likely never would be again.

  Returning his hands to her hips, he began thrusting again. It felt good, echoing the throes of pleasure she had just been lost in minutes ago. Jaelle let herself rest and enjoy the sounds escaping the man’s mouth.

  Despite his claims that it would take him a while, she felt him begin to reach his release in what she estimated was less than five minutes. First, he throbbed within her, and his rhythm began to fall apart at the seams. Then he dipped his head, kissing frantically between her shoulder blades. And finally, he roared while holding her flush to him with all of his strength, nails biting into her hips.

  He poured himself into her, filling her with such warmth and contentment that she was moaning once again. They melted against each other and collapsed back onto the sleeping backs, just a little to the left of the wet spot they had just created.

  “I love you,” Bradley reminded her, voice barely a rasp.

  “I…I love you, too.”

  If he noticed her hesitation as anything other than breathlessness brought on by their exertion, he didn’t say. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush to him like he always did.

  Jaelle let him cuddle her, the warmth of the moment drifting over her. If she was about to walk into hell, she couldn’t think of a better note to leave paradise on.

  Her tiny body warmed as her mind concluded the memory from just an hour or so earlier. Bradley was going to be furious with her, and probably even hurt, but at least he would be safe. Who knew, maybe in time he would come to understand why she did what she did. Why she had to leave.

  And if he didn’t, and she was always a villain in his eyes, she would could live with it.

  …if she survived, that was.

  Chapter Two: Bittersweet Nostalgia

  She flew for hours, and then days. She cut through clear skies and storm clouds alike, feeling the warmth of the west coast fade as she headed east.

  At first, her plan had been to fly straight to upstate. After all, the Bar-tailed Godwit could cut across the Pacific Ocean in just one go. But it turned out that was only for birds who lived their entire lives as birds, and not pretender shapeshifters who only flew once in a great while.

  Night had passed, and morning had come before Jaelle finally gave in and began looking for someplace to roost. Her plan was to find a nice, safe place on the edge of a highway or farm where there were less likely to be predators, the various beasts too frightened by the prevalent stench of humans. But the closer she drew to civilization, she more found herself longing for a warm bed and a hot meal. It seemed like ages since they had last camped at the doctor’s house after the Wendigo attack.

  Besides, if she was marching to her death, she deserved a last meal, didn’t she?

  As she landed and reclaimed her human form, her mouth began to water at the thought of a warm bowl of grits and a double bacon cheeseburger. While the Hunters kept the right number of rations and supplies to make sure they weren’t entirely nutrient-starved, there weren’t exactly ample opportunities to chow down like she used to.

  Her hand rested over her pocket, feeling the stack of money she had taken out of Bradley’s glove compartment. She hoped that he would understand that she had needed it. Then again, if he didn’t, being a thief was probably the least of the grievances he would have with her.

  Could she really justify spending her funds on a carb and grease-heavy meal? Well… it certainly wouldn’t do any good for her corpse if all of this went south, so she might as well.

  She looked to the towering trees around her, as if they could advise her on what she should or shouldn’t do. The smart thing to do would be to nestle somewhere as an apex predator then continue in the morning.

  But when had she ever claimed to be smart?

  Jaelle could already hear the sounds of a small, sleepy town less than a mile away. With the simple highway, and the thick grove of wood-like trees, it was impossible not to compare it to Braywire. Sticking her hands in the pockets of her jeans, she cut through the trees and toward the noise.

  Dawn passed and the sun continued its inevitable climb into the sky as she progressed to the edge of the town. She arrived on a clearly trod path, no doubt used by high school age locals as they cut across town after hours. There was a rickety-looking gas station with old-fashioned pumps and chipping paint on one side and a quaint, tidy family diner on the other. There was a singular streetlight at the intersection, then residential houses with plenty of spaces between them. She imagined that not too much farther down, the farms would start cropping up—at least if the thick smell of cows was anything to go by.

  She took one last look at the road, making sure she wouldn’t end her tale by being flattened in a traffic accident, then made a beeline for the diner. She didn’t even need to get halfway across the street before the delicious scents of pancakes, steak, and other sinful fare beckoned her onward.

  When she finally reached the single door and stepped in, a small bell heralding her entrance, it was like walking right back home. It was practically Braywire incarnate, from the two waitresses who looked somewhere between exhausted and maternal, to the open window to the kitchen where one could see completed orders being slid up to sit under heat lamps until one of the servers came to fetch them. The scent of roasted coffee and freshly brewed tea. The linoleum that was coming up in a couple of places and duct taped down around the door.

  She headed straight for the stools at the counter, a few of the seats also taped up to stop the splits in the plasticine covers from cracking open even wider. As Jaelle settled her rear onto one, she let out a long, content sigh.

  “My name’s Clarissa and I’ll be your server today. How can I help ya, darling?”

  Jaelle looked up to see one of the servers had crossed behind the counter and was now standing in front of her, pad and paper in hand. She was
slightly passed middle age, but her dark hair had yet to take to gray. She was pleasantly plump and had both frown and smile lines on her face aplenty. She could have been anybody’s very young grandmother or a bit older mother, and Jaelle felt herself relax in a way she hadn’t in a very long time.

  “Hi, how are you?”

  “Just great, darlin’, living the dream.”

  “Curious dream,” Jaele retorted with a wry smirk.

  “I’m a curious lady, but mostly just about your order.”

  “Right, right. You still servin’ breakfast?”

  “It’s nine-thirty in the morning. If we weren’t serving breakfast that would be curious.”

  “Good point. In that case, I’ll take the Eggs Benedict special you have written on the chalkboard outside, a double bacon cheeseburger with seasoned fries and mash potatoes—no gravy—and the largest bowl of grits you have.”

  “And where are you planning on putting all that food?”

  “In my mouth, and then hopefully my stomach.” Jaelle gave her the most sickly sweet smile she could. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m getting into and I’ll tip you thirty percent if you don’t make any remarks about how much I eat until after I leave.”

  “Whatever you say, honey. And what will that be to drink?”

  “Your strongest regular coffee and a very big glass of water."

  The woman turned around and slid the order into the window, ringing a little bell as she did. Jaelle turned her attention to the patrons around her, taking in the differences and similarities against the regulars of what had been the closest thing to her hometown.

  The likeness was uncanny, as if someone had taken an image out of her brain and pasted over this town with only slight changes. She supposed that was the brilliance of small town Americana. No matter where you were in the country, you could probably find something that felt like home.

  She turned back to the kitchen to watch as her food was made only to find that her coffee and water were already in front of her. It looked like Clarissa was definitely on top of her game. Pushing the helpfully offered bowl of cream and sugar aside, Jaelle quickly downed her coffee.

  It was like a piping hot, bitter sliver of heaven as it rushed down her throat. How long had it been since she had a fresh cup of joe that wasn’t from a gas station? She didn’t even want to think of how many weeks had passed since then.

  The pleasant aroma of roasted beans reminded her of the pots she and her coworkers would down back in the shop. It seemed like another life, fixing the occasional car and fooling around with the crew. Sure, she didn’t miss the hiding and constant fear, but there were good memories buried in her previous life, as well.

  Closing her eyes, Jaelle sighed and let the feelings roll over her. It had taken quite a while, but she had learned to stop fighting her memories and the melancholy they brought with them. For once, she wasn’t on the run, she wasn’t racing toward something at breakneck pace, she was enjoying her moment and giving herself a slight reprieve.

  Her lids were still closed when she heard the clink of several plates being set down in front of her. Finishing the rest of her coffee and returning it to the counter, she dug into her Eggs Benedict first.

  If the coffee was heaven, then the eggs were pure sin. They practically melted on her tongue, aided by the Hollandaise sauce that coated her throat. The ham was crispy on the outside and had the perfect balance of salty and honey-sweetness, while the biscuit was dry enough to sop up the runny liquid of the dish without being a crumbly mess.

  It didn’t take long for the hungry Aberrant to inhale those, and with every bite, she felt a strange sort of strength fill her. The burger was next, along with its sides, and as she chowed down she came to a sort of realization.

  Jaelle didn’t know if it was the small town setting, or the chance to sit and think on her own in a situation that wasn’t life and death, but the thoughts came rushing in with each delicious bite of food that she took.

  She had long since figured out that she was living a new life now, that she was no longer a monster and she had hopes, beliefs, ideals and possibly a future. But what she had never understood was that there wasn’t some magical divide in her life that separated experiences like clean chapters. Although she had grown, evolved even, she was still that scared girl who had once spent a year in a zoo. She was also the same woman who had faced down a mad Aberrant while tethered to a car going at high speed. One part of her didn’t preclude the other. Together, they made the complex woman she was now.

  She had been the hunted, she had been the hunter. She had run, and she had chased. She didn’t need to feel ashamed about her past, or bury it under a rock. In fact, it was something that could fuel her, make her stronger.

  The last bite of her burger disappeared between her gnashing teeth and Jaelle smiled, feeling at peace for the first time in forever. It had been a long, winding journey with plenty of parallels, but she was finally content.

  She had experienced trust, she had experienced friendship, and most importantly, she had experienced unfettered, unconditional love twice with two amazing men who were willing to risk everything for her. She was ready to face whatever might come because she had been able to taste the absolute best in life.

  Looking at her grits, Jaelle grabbed them and then the sugars that had been meant for the coffee. Normally she was a salt and pepper kind of girl, but she felt like desert was the perfect way to wrap up her meal and her thoughts.

  After pouring in far more packets than could possibly be healthy, Jaelle stirred the mixture until it was thoroughly mixed then slowly spooned it into her mouth. She took her time on this one, savoring, treasuring. Her mind replayed all the wonderful memories in her head, flashes of David and his smile, her time at the mechanic’s shop, running in animal form at the zoo. Times where she had laughed with Dannon or Javi in the car. The feel of power as it rushed through her veins. The cold nights spent in Bradley’s arms.

  The montage of bliss went on as long as her bowl did, and when she finally finished, she almost wanted to keep going. But she had a mission at hand, and truly, she felt ready to walk into the gates of Creed’s hell and face whatever it might contain.

  Not waiting for the bill, she pulled a fifty from her pocket and plopped in on the counter. With a nod to Clarissa from across the room, she showed herself out and back onto the main road.

  Jaelle looked down the road and back to the woods from whence she came. It would be so easy to just turn the other way and disappear into the horizon. She could live a calm, quiet life and never shift again.

  But she had no desire to. Not even the slightest temptation. She knew what she wanted, and that was a new dawn for all of those of her kind. And everyone else, too.

  Nodding, Jaelle turned toward the woods. She had her last supper, so to speak, and it was time to face her grand finale.

  Chapter Three: Calculated Surrender:

  The rest of her journey was uneventful, with no hawks or other predators to give her a hassle. It took her more than a day and a half to reach Upstate New York, and when she did, she could feel the crisp cold of fall just beginning to win over the dwindling warmth of the summer.

  She took care not to land exactly at the prison, as she had no idea if Creed had overrun it or not yet and she certainly didn’t want to get shot out of the sky by an overzealous guard.

  Landing a small town over, she crashed at a shoddy pay-per-hour hotel and took a quick nap. Then, in the dead of night, she set out for what she hoped was the prison.

  It wasn’t like it was on any map. That had been the whole purpose of the Shifters buying those abandoned facilities, right? But in her time hanging out with the doctor, the woman had told Jaelle roughly what town she thought the last prison was near. She couldn’t be for certain, of course, but after looking at a map, Jaelle figured there were just three spots that it could be.

  After all, they needed land away from any residents, a flat enough area to make a sturdy structure,
and enough treacherous landscape around three sides to make escaping on foot relatively difficult. They also couldn’t be elevated too high, as their lights would be able to be seen from afar. Not to mention, the risk of the guard towers acting as lightning rods.

  So, not quite a needle in the haystack, but definitely like trying to find the perfect prom dress. Not that Jaelle had ever had a prom dress, or even a chance to go to prom.

  She set out into the night in hours just after midnight. This time, she took the form of a simple local hawk. Sure, it wasn’t the fastest, nor did it have the best endurance, but it wouldn’t stand out. She was sure that if the guards or freed prisoners saw a Peregrine falcon, or a Golden eagle, or even a Gyrfalcon, that they would shoot it out of the sky without so much as a batted eye.

  Even so, she knew flying over at all was risky. Such an important place had to have high security, especially considering what had happened at the west coast location. Once she found the location, she would drop out of the air as soon as she could and take on a much more innocuous, land-locked form.

  She waited until she was well beyond town before letting her human form slip away and feathers slide along her skin. Her heart rocketed as her form shrunk and her bones hallowed out, until she was a medium-sized, tawny brown falcon.

  Jaelle made sure that she didn’t follow any set pattern, or pick cardinal directions. Instead, she followed the winds, allowing them to take her as far as they wanted. She circled for hours, keeping her eyes locked on any disruptions in natural layout of forest, gorges, and the otherwise beautiful landscape sprawled below her.

  However, the sun began to rise before she found a single thing, and she couldn’t help but feel disappointment bring a bitter taste to her mouth. She debated returning back to town and pigging out, maybe catching a movie, but she decided she couldn’t lose that much ground.