by Johanna Rae
“I wouldn’t want to be accused of being an inhumane king.” Charlie smirked. “It’s no three course meal but it ought to keep you going a while before the stink gets too overbearing.”
The goat skittered over to a far corner of the cell, not wanting to be anywhere near Luke, who smelled of predator. Charlie and his minions laughed as they exited the small space, locking the door behind them. Though the light was poor, Luke could see the goat watching him. Fearful of his every movement, it bleated loudly.
“Yeah, it fucking sucks from where I’m sitting too.”
Lying back so that his head rested on the concrete wall behind him, Luke closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pounding headache. As he lay there alone for hours upon hours, he thought about his daughters again. He hoped they wouldn’t be too distraught over his disappearance. Knowing he would miss them, a dull ache settled in Luke’s chest.
He’d resigned himself to the fact that he’d probably never get out of this place but that didn’t mean Luke would be a model prisoner. No, he planned to make the lives of his captors as difficult as possible. They would rue the day they’d put Luke Fletcher in a cell. Scheming already, Luke had a twisted smile on his face as he fell asleep.
Glossary of Terms
Ae: Yes. (Maori)
Alpha: See “status”
Aoteoroa: Literal translation is “land of the long white cloud” but this is the Maori name for New Zealand.
Aroha: Love. (Maori)
Beta: See “status”
Citizens: This is the term given to any shifters not working for ISIC. Some Therians believe this term should be exclusive to them, and not used to refer to Lycans.
Clan: This is the name given to the family group or community a shifter belongs to. There would be a large number of clans per species. Usually this would be in the region of the world the animal is native to, but sometimes new clans are formed if there is a mass migration. There are only two species native to New Zealand, the falcons and the ngarara. The boars claim to be, but they have only been here a few hundred years, and are also Lycan.
Clan ability: Every clan has an ability that is either unique to them, or more dominant than in other shifters. Different clans of the same species can have different abilities, but within the same clan the dominant trait will be similar. Ie: Adam Johnston can smell whether a person is telling the truth based on the temperature changes in their body, Rufus Ramanui has extra strength, and Mark Dion has a heightened sense of smell.
Double Therian: Until Jodie’s Clan ability surfaced, Danny was the only known “double Therian” Because he has two animal forms, neither bound to the moon.
Eros: Soul-mate.
Haere mai: Welcome (Maori)
Haere ra: Goodbye (Maori)
Head Office: This is the guys’ term for New Zealand’s ISIC headquarters. It is located in Auckland, and is run by General Delron Lancaster.
Innocents: This term is given to humans, or non-shifters, but often refers to those who do not know shifters exist. There is occasionally a ‘grey area’ when Lycans have been created or turned without their permission. Technically these people are both innocents and civilians for a temporary period of time.
ISIC: Stands for International Shifter Information and Control. ISIC are the heart of the shifter justice system, with branches all over the world. The New Zealand sector is one of the newest, having existed for eight years. Previously ISIC hadn’t bothered with an office in such a small country; however it started to become the place to go for shifters in hiding and on the run. With so many rogue shifters without clans, shifter crime began getting out of control. General Delron Lancaster is the head of the New Zealand branch of ISIC.
Jive: The rival nightclub of The Furnace. Unbeknown to the nonshifters (innocents), The Furnace is where the Lycans and Therians favor, and Jive is where the nonshifters go, or shifters who are avoiding ISIC. There are still a large number of nonshifters at The Furnace which is the more popular of the two clubs.
Ka kite ano: See you again. (Maori)
Kao: No. (Maori)
Kia kaha: Be strong, keep trying. (Maori)
Kia ora: This is used most often as a greeting, ie: Hello. However it can also be used as a form of gratitude in place of the word thanks. (Maori)
Kohi Beach: This is a beautiful beach suitable for swimming and most beach related activities. The Unit spend a lot of time here, as it is only a fifteen minute drive from Redcliffe, and much nicer to swim than the tiny beach at The Heads.
Lycan, Lycanthrope, Lycanthropy: Shifters of any animal variety that are bound by the full moon. If the shifter has enough power they will be able to change in between full moons at times of their own choosing. Shifting for Lycans is painful and unnatural. It takes much longer than the Therians. The Lycan hierarchy is often disorganized, and while often a monarchy, is not always so. Born Lycans do not change for the first time until puberty. Bitten or changed Lycans will change the following full moon from the date they were infected.
Lycan-Therian Cross: Luke is a Lycan-Therian Cross, because he was bitten by a Lycan before he had been taught to bring out his Therian form. This is uncommon but there are a few documented shifters worldwide who possess both.
Maori: The native people of New Zealand, who emigrated to this country in the thirteenth century.
Ngarara: Apart from the falcon, this is the only Therian species native to New Zealand. A giant species of lizard similar to the tuatara and the Komodo dragon, these creatures never evolved into present day animal form. Because they are solely Therian, they remain undiscovered by modern scientists. Eddie Pirini is the son of Tiniraumano. His father is not only the king of his clan, but king of all the Ngarara.
Omega: See “status”
Phoniás: This is the term given to an ISIC agent who is licensed to complete black globe assignments. (ie: Danny and Mark). These agents require longer and more grueling training. While trained at the same facility as all the rest, these agents are kept separate.
Rock Garden: The café where the Redcliffe residents often meet up for coffee.
Royal Alpha: See “status”
Seaview: The retirement home where Jodie Fletcher’s grandmother resides.
Status: Every shifter has a status that indicates the power they possess. The highest rank is Royal Alpha. This is someone of Alpha status born to a royal family. Usually this is the greatest power there is, but due to some clans marrying humans, some Alphas can be more powerful than the Royals. (Ie Eddie). The second highest rank is Alpha, and the one below that is Beta. Beta shifters can still be powerful, and some of the guys in the Unit are Betas. Omega is the lowest rank and usually only females and adolescent males or children are in this category. There are less Alphas among the Lycans, in this shifter genre, Beta is more common.
Therian, Therianthrope, Therianthropy: Shifters who are not bound by the full moon. According to the histories retold by other shifters, all beings once had two forms: human and animal. Over time some beings began to prefer human and some began to prefer animal. Those two groups slowly lost the ability to change, thus evolving into modern day humans and animals. Those that remained are the Therians of today. The change is fluid and graceful, like shedding a layer of skin. Therians are more in touch with their beast as it is an extension of their true self. Therians are capable of shifting at any age, but must be taught. This is almost always by a member of their family or clan, and it is usually done once the child nears an age where discretion can be guaranteed. When a Therian meets their Eros, if they bond well, they can share emotions/sense each other’s moods. Therianthropy is only hereditary, and cannot be caught.
The Fortress: Jodie’s nickname for the house where the guys live.
The Furnace: The club where some of the guys work in their cover jobs.
The Heads: The place in Redcliffe where the Pohutukawa River joins the ocean, and there is a bar where the fresh water and salt water meet. On stormy days it is too difficult for the boats
to come up river to the Redcliffe harbor, because the bar is rough/unworkable.
The Redcliffe Times: The newspaper where Jodie works.
The Unit: This is the name given to each sector of agents ISIC has placed around the country.
Urewera: There is an area of New Zealand called “The Urewera National Park” Because this is very close to Redcliffe, and incorporated in the region Danny’s Unit patrol, Danny’s Unit is entitled “The Urewera Unit.” During the book they are usually only referred to as
“The Unit”
Turituri: Hush/be quiet. (Maori)
Wairaka: The restaurant where Mark works in his cover job.
Whanau: Family (Maori)
About the Author
Johanna Rae is a former fashion-designer and a mother of three. She lives on a gorgeous rural property near Hamilton, New Zealand, with her family, cats, cows, chickens and several crazy goats.
Read more at Johanna Rae’s site.