Feral is the Night (Feral Night World Book 1)

by Leeah Taylor

  A low guttural noise echoes behind me but I don’t look back, putting as much distance between me and him as I can. I have no idea how to fight him. I have no idea what’s different.

  What hurts him?

  What kills him?

  I reach the common area and fire explodes in my hind leg. A howl wretches out of me as I roll across the stone ground. I scramble to find my footing, trying to blot out the pain radiating from my leg, but sickness washes over me and it’s all I can focus on. But I don’t let it stop me from limping forward to escape.

  Agony rips through my midsection, more fire spreads through my lungs, and another howl tears out of me. Tristan buries a fist in the nape of my neck, gathering the fur back with a tug. My jaw snaps back at him but he’s out of reach.

  “I should turn you. Wouldn’t that be a blow to Carver’s sweet, sensitive little heart? Cover up that mutt mark with my own?”

  A whimper and whine squeeze out of me as the fight drains from my limbs.

  Carver…

  Chapter Sixteen

  Carver

  “I want every cave system we’re aware of searched.”

  “Done,” Cooper says.

  I glance at the bodies and rage ripples through me. Berkeley felt it. Knew it. Something was off. I should have done more.

  “What do you want to do with them, Carver?”

  Just thinking about what has to be done makes my stomach churn. I drag a hand down my face. “Sever the head and then bury them.”

  They’re my wolves. My fucking pack. It’s a miracle I can identify them at all. The thing tore them to shreds.

  “I want the thing found, Coop.”

  “We’ll find it.”

  “I want to know how the fuck it even got in here.”

  “Carver,” Cooper demands my attention. “We’ll take care of it.”

  I know he means it.

  I know Cooper won’t rest until they find the thing.

  It’s his home too. His pack and responsibility as much as it’s mine.

  But I can’t shake the sickness or dread building in my core. This is our home, the place we can come to escape the ugly of our world. And somehow that world finally bled in.

  Another wave of dread slithers through me and I stiffen.

  Cooper eyes me. “What is it?”

  A howl echoes through the caverns and my stomach drops. Panic crashes over me, riling my wolf. Hot sickness pools in the pit of my stomach.

  Carver…

  Berkeley’s ragged voice scrapes through my mind. I just react, shifting without a word.

  “Carver!” Cooper yells.

  But I’m already racing through the maze of caves. I pass the infirmary when her pain tears through me, aching down in my bones, slicing through my heart and taking my breath away.

  Red fills my vision when I bolt into the common area. Tristan grins wide while standing over Berkeley’s naked, bleeding body. He’ll wish the bite killed him. I lunge and like he was never there, Tristan is gone in a whoosh of air.

  How is he so fucking fast?

  I’m back on two feet and crouching over Berkeley when Cooper, Brax, and Shaw sprint into the room. I point toward the entrance but before I can even give an order, Cooper is shifted and gone.

  “Tristan. Find him,” I bark out before giving my attention to Berkeley. “Baby?”

  The room lights up and fills with hushed gasps and whispers.

  I press my hand to the gaping wound in her chest as blood pours out and search her for any bites. Only finding deep claw marks.

  “Is she bit?” Dan asks, crouching beside me. “Carver?”

  “She’s already healing.”

  “Carver,” he says my name very slowly. “Is she bit?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Good, then let’s get her down to the infirmary.”

  The common room fills with more people looking to me for an explanation, but I can’t bring myself to find any words. Over two years and the Mountain has never seen blood spilled in it. One day and I have two bodies and Berkeley bloody in my arms.

  Shit has to change to ensure it never happens again. And someone will sure as hell be held accountable for letting that fucking freak in my Mountain.

  “You’ve said before she’s a half-breed. What does that mean?” Dan asks when I lay her on one of the beds.

  “Not as fast. Heals slower. Not as strong. Shift isn’t fluid.”

  “So diluted?”

  I glare at him. No, she’s not fucking diluted, just different in some aspects.

  “Carver, I’m not insulting her. I need to know how to treat her. Wolves and humans are different.”

  Fuck. I drag a hand down my face, sighing. “Right. Human. Treat her like a human.”

  “Okay, some pants in the back. Go put them on.”

  “Modesty is overrated.”

  “Carver, do it. She’s going to be fine. Though I’m wondering how slow is slow in your book because this gaping wound in her chest is healing fine.”

  It’s not gaping anymore, but it’s still not pretty. The son of a bitch had to put his fist through her chest to cause this kind of damage. It’s no surprise her flesh and muscles knit together quickly; it’s the bones that’ll take longer. It’s always the bones, and it has nothing to do with being a half-breed. Bones just suck. When I get my hands on Tristan, he’ll get it ten fold.

  I spend the next hour watching from a distance, arms crossed firmly over my chest, and trying to stay out of Dan’s way. He’s a damn good doctor, but finding it in me to trust him with Berkeley is proving harder than it should be.

  He crosses the room to me. “She’ll be fine.”

  “When will she wake up?”

  “When she’s ready. Lost a bit of blood, Carver. Wolf or not, it takes a toll. What’s important is she’s going to live.” Dan gives my shoulder a squeeze. “Let her rest. I’ll check on her soon.”

  My ears perk up when Dan slips out and two sets of footsteps come up behind me.

  “Well?”

  Cooper sighs. “He’s gone. Not a trace. No scent trail or anything. Shaw said he’s pretty sure it’s the guy they picked up—”

  I spin around and get in Shaw’s face, a feat since he has a good five inches on me, but I’m pissed enough to take his head right off.

  “How could you miss the goddamn fangs?”

  Frustration courses through me. The fucker doesn’t get away with this. I’ll hunt him to the ends of the earth and destroy him.

  “He didn’t have any, Car. And it’s not like I was looking. If they got fangs, then they aren’t human. This kid looked and acted like you and me .”

  A growl echoes through the room. “Fuck.” I push my fingers through my hair with another glance at Berkeley. “What about the other people you brought back?”

  “Separate group. Picked him up not too far from here.”

  He tracked us back here. He waited for a chance.

  “Little shit isn’t as dumb as I thought.”

  “Is she going to be okay?” Cooper asks.

  Worry trickles off him as he stares across the room, brow pinched.

  “Yeah.” But she needs to wake up. “She’ll have some scars, but she’s alive.”

  “What do you want me to tell everyone?” He asks. “Common room is packed. They’ve got a lot of questions.”

  “The truth. What else are we supposed to do?” I glimpse back at him. “Not about to start lying to them now. There’s a new breed of Feral. One got in. Killed two wolves and attacked Berkeley. Shit’s gotta change.”

  Shaw shifts his weight behind me. “Maybe we stop taking in—”

  “That’s not the answer, but we need to rethink our isolation protocol.”

  “Shaw and I will work it out. Extend it, and—”

  “We need a separate place to isolate. Not in the Mountain anymore.”

  There’s no other answer. We can’t open our home up to strangers anymore without doing everything p
ossible to prevent another attack.

  “I’ll get with Brax and the others then and we’ll start building,” Shaw says. “I’m sorry, man. I never fathomed.”

  “I know, it’s not your fault.”

  It’s mine. I should have pushed Berkeley harder about what had her frightened last night. I should have better security in place for newcomers and around the Mountain in general. We have the numbers. There’s no reason this place shouldn’t be protected like a fortress. It’s our only home; our only chance at survival.

  And now we have new Ferals to contend with. The risk just skyrocketed if we can’t tell the difference between humans and Ferals.

  None of it matters though. Not until Berkeley wakes up and I need her to wake up. I fucked up and shit, I just got her back. The last thing I want is for her to pull away again, mate bond be damned. She almost died because I wasn’t there. And that’s on me.

  “Oh my god, stop talking,” she whines, already trying to sit up and wincing.

  I rush over to her and press a hand to her shoulder. “No, don’t do that. Lie down.”

  She doesn’t have to say anything. Berkeley’s sass flashes in her eyes and she glares until she’s sat up the rest of the way.

  “Berkeley, he put a hole in your chest.”

  “I’m mostly fine.” She rolls her shoulders and grimaces when she tries shifting more in the bed. “Okay, I’m a little sore.” Her eyes go wide. “Tristan?”

  “Sorry, Spitfire,” Cooper says. “Tried tracking him. He’s gone.”

  She heaves a sigh. “For now.”

  I sit on the edge of the bed, slipping my hands over her cheeks, and touch my forehead to hers. My heart cinches tight in my chest. I can’t ever let anything get the chance again.

  Too fucking close.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Yeah.” I nod against her forehead. “We will. But not right now.”

  “Carver—”

  “I swear, you can tell me everything, but later…” Let me hold you, whole and in one piece, please.

  She smiles and pecks my lips. Okay, if you insist, but I was going to ask if you had a pack elder lying around anywhere.

  I pull back and take her in. It’s all mischief and big ideas working its way up in her eyes.

  “What in the world does a pack elder have to do with anything?”

  Cooper laughs. “Dude, really?”

  Berkeley’s smile grows bigger. “Well, do you?”

  “Yeah, Donna.”

  She laughs.

  Berkeley? Did you hit your head?

  Love me, Carver Moore?”

  You know I do.

  Wanna make it official?

  “You’re serious?”

  She shrugs. “I mean, it was always going to happen. We just took a little detour.”

  I can’t think of a reason not to do it. Or why I wouldn’t want to. I’d be stupid not to.

  I never take my eyes off her. “Coop?”

  “Boss?”

  “Tell Donna to dust off her elder shoes, we’re having a good old-fashioned joining ceremony.”

  “Thank fuck, it’s about time.”

  “Stuck with me now, Spitfire.”

  “I’ve always been stuck with you, Carver.” She kisses me harder. Her wolf reaches out for mine and wraps around me. “It just so happens I love you.”

  “I love you too, Berkeley.”

  Epilogue

  “You sure about this?” Carver asks for the umpteenth time.

  I swear half the time he treats me like a porcelain doll. He forgets I’ve spent the last three years fighting like a fierce warrior. But I love him for it. I can’t blame him either. I’d be equally protective if I found him a bloody, beaten, naked mess too. Not my proudest moment.

  “Carver.” I turn with a sigh. “It’s only a brand.”

  “Yeah, and I already marked you.”

  He looks delicious shirtless wearing just a pair of slacks and sitting on the edge of the bed. Not even sure how anyone got a clean pair of slacks, let alone with creases. I’m not going to ask too many questions either. I’d rather spend these few minutes getting him out of the slacks and climb into his lap.

  “It’s a pack tradition.” He rolls his eyes and scoffs. I grab him by the chin when he looks away to bring him back. “It means something to the unity of a pack.”

  “Yeah.” He nods, jaw set. “And I hate it now as much as I did then.”

  “Maybe so, but it’s important. You said it yourself, these packs need to be brought together in unity. One pack. They’re all ready to give you fealty, and this is the celebration to do it.”

  He cups my ass with a growl. “Say it again, but all growly.”

  His hard cock presses between my legs, and I climb off his lap.

  “We don’t have time for you or your cock to get carried away.” Carver swipes for me but I’m faster and dodge it. “No. There is a common room full of people waiting for us.”

  He scowls. “And a hot brand.”

  I go back to the small mirror on the table and finish pinning my hair up. “Let it go, handsome.”

  His hands slip over my hips and that damned cock of his is pressing into my backside with a lot of reason to make those people wait. He tugs the top of the dress down to cup my breast while burying his lips in the side of my neck.

  “You’re impossible.”

  “I’m horny.”

  “That’s a state of being for you.”

  “And?”

  I turn in his arms. “And there will be plenty of time for you to do all the dirty things you want later.”

  He picks me up and sits me on the edge of the table, wedging himself between my legs. “What kinda dirty things are you going to let me do?”

  A smirk ghosts my lips as I wrap my arms around his neck. Life has far from settled in since we arrived a week ago.

  And it’s all been a whirlwind.

  Ferals are still strong and blood thirsty. My people are safe and have a place to call home. And Tristan is still very much a problem at the forefront of it all. When he’s not between my legs, or looking over the Mountain, Carver is hunting him. He won’t rest until Tristan is six feet under.

  I’m not sure how it looks.

  Or what it will take.

  But I know, for the first time in too long, I have hope for more than survival. I want a life. I want Carver and everything to come with it. We have a home. We have a pack. We have an opportunity many people still don’t in this world now.

  I never have to leave this Mountain again if I don’t want to. Carver has said it enough in the last few days. He’s content and would prefer if I stayed inside the gates. He knows I can’t and won’t do that, but I’m grateful for the option if I ever wanted to.

  At this moment, I’m willing to give it up for a short time.

  I wrap my legs around his waist. “Maybe the baby-making kind.”

  Carver’s brow goes up, but he’s smiling and a contentment sweeps through me. “Really?”

  “Yeah.” I giggle. “Did you want to wait?”

  “Fucking hell no, I do not but figured you might.”

  “Carver, we’ve had our entire lives to be together. From diapers to the playground to senior prom. I don’t need four or five more years. We’ve waited long enough to have what we were supposed to already have.”

  “Well, you’re just all in.”

  “I’ve always been all in with a slight lapse of judgement.”

  And I’ll regret it for the rest of time. But second chances are a gift.

  “Shit, then let’s get this over with so I can bring you back here and put babies in you.”

  I can see the challenge light up in his eyes. He’ll have me on my back, on all fours, and every other way he can have me, until he puts a pup in my belly and I can’t find a reason not to be a bit giddy. There’s a small part of me worried it’s not possible, a fluke because of what I am, but I can’t let it root too deep. I’ve spent enough time d
oing the same when I lost our child years ago.

  Maybe I can’t.

  Carver pulls me into his side. “Yes, you can. Stop that.”

  Get out of my head!

  “Not that easy, Berk. You know that. But I’m telling you, you can, and we will have it. So don’t borrow that kind of trouble.”

  I have to believe him, want to believe him. And I shove the doubt out. We’ll cross that bridge if it comes, and do it together. For now, I’m looking forward to how determined he’ll be to prove me wrong and all the delicious fun it’ll be.

  We stop at the opening of the common room. It’s packed with humans and wolves. They gaze at Carver with admiration and it reminds me of Harlan and the way the pack looked to him. I’m proud of him and if his dad could be here, he’d be equally—probably more—proud of his son.

  I’m not surprised when a hint of apprehension rolls through me. He has the hardest job of anyone here and carries the weight of it all on his shoulders. And I’m the only one who ever gets to see how heavy that burden can be.

  He presses a kiss to my temple. “It’s why you’re my queen.”

  “Every alpha needs one.”

  “Yeah, but not all get one as strong and fierce as mine.”

  “We’re going to make a better world, Carver.”

  He slips his hand in mine. “And it’s all going to start right here.”

  I can’t think of a better place for the world to rebuild. Ferals or not, life has to go on and we’ll make sure it does. For our children and generations to follow.

  It’s not the end of the world.

  It’s the beginning of a new one.

  Thank You for Reading!

  I hope you enjoyed the beginning of Carver and Berkeley’s story. This is the first book in the Feral Night World trilogy. Don’t forget to review on your favorite platform!

  Preorder Feral is the Day

  Want to stay up to date on my new releases?

  Join my newsletter