~TIA~
I stared at Kieran, observing him, anticipating more words to leave his filthy mouth, however, unconsciousness took hold and his eyes rolling back into his head. “Fuck!” I hissed as I looked away, yet Kieran’s final conscious words ate at me like a worm in a compost heap. Jarrad wouldn’t have told Aiden. Surely not. I’m his sister, his only remaining flesh and blood. I tried to convince my thoughts that my brother couldn’t have betrayed me, but all reassurance came to the same uncertainty … How would Aiden have known my plans? The names of a select few tiptoed into my mind, casting a shadow of doubt over those I trusted. Elder Richards, the dark witch, Jarrad. No… no this can’t be
~MILLIE~His fist connected with the delicate skin on my cheek, stinging it in an instant. I shrieked and curled up into a tight foetal position, hiding my face from further impact. My eyes flushed with water, not from tears packed with misery, but from the throbbing pain radiating across the left side of my face. Yes, it hurt like a bitch, but what alarmed me the most was the surprise of his punch. He hardly ever hit me in the face.It would attract too much attention to you’,was his excuse, almost like he was doing me a favour. Instead, he would purple my torso and limbs in various shapes and sizes.
~MILLIE~The door scuffed against the floor as it closed, and just like that, she was gone. No, she can’t have just gone. “Come back! Come back you bitch!” I yelled against my restricted body, but the door remained shut. Where was she going? Who did she need to see? Panic began to race through my body as question upon question entered my mind. Everyone I cared for was now in danger and I needed to do something… Anything. Feeling empowered to save my loved ones, I pushed myself up. I felt strong. I felt galvanised.I felt Dan slam my body back down against the tabletop.
~AIDEN~“For fucks sake,” I growled, looking down at my unresponsive phone. It must have turned off by accident when I nearly killed Jarrad. I found my gaze subconsciously lifting to see the side of his face and my blood instantly ran hot with anger. His heart rate increased, he knew I was boring a hole into his head and he sensed my rising fury, but he continued to focus on the blackened road around us. ‘Stop it Aiden,’ I thought to myself with a grunt as I forcefully pushed the power button on my phone, waiting for it to spring to life.“N-nearly there.” Jar
~MILLIE~My eyes scanned over the lifeless body slumped on the floor, and even though her head was twisted in the wrong direction, there was a part of me that wanted confirmation that she was gone. “Shit,” I breathed, “I-is she dead?” I asked, my orbs still affixed. He hummed, validating my suspicions. I sighed, slightly relieved that I didn’t need to use the rifle that rested in my hands. My gaze lifted, passing the corpse to her executioner’s bare feet and shins.“Well, as far as introductions go, this is a first.” He said, a hint of humour in his tone.“Huh,” I mumbled, not really hearing what he said.“Errm, maybe this would be an easier encounter if you weren’t still pointing the gun in my direction? After all, I did just save your life,” He chuckled.“Oh, yeah, shit
~MILLIE~The sight before me was nothing short of barbaric. I hadn't really looked properly when Dan attempted to encourage my view but now, with the shape side of a silver blade to my throat, I had no choice. It was as though I was watching a high-definition thriller movie on a big screen. Blood was literally spraying into the moonlit sky, limbs were being torn from the human hunters as though they were merely a rag doll held together by some flimsy stitching, and even though it appeared that the supernatural werewolves were the winning team, they weren't without injury.As much as I wanted to screw my eyes tight, blocking out the blood-filled rage, I couldn’t. I needed to see Aiden. I needed to know he was ok, and it wasn't long before my clouded vision spotted his overly large wolf.He howled, stilling the other wolves from their fight before all heads turned to face us.Come
~MILLIE~“Drop the fucking gun.” Dan hissed, the rounded metal pushing harder against my skull, I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I was holding, and a single salty tear escaped out of the corner of my eye and rolled down my chilled cheek, finding its way into the crease of my lip. My eyes fluttered unconsciously, clinging onto the vison of Aiden who was still being attacked and although he was holding his own, more men appeared to be jumping on his wolf as quickly as he was tossing them to the ground.With the safety still off and one bullet remaining in the chamber, I felt my way along the cold steel guard that protected the trigger, before placing my finger onto the piece of metal that would allow me to take out another hunter.I won’t let them kill Aiden, they won’t take him away from me.I felt possessed, my mind had been overtaken by an unstoppable fo
~TIA~“Pick up your phone, dammit! Why isn’t he picking up his phone?” I screeched, hurling my phone across the room. Dan hadn’t answered once again, in fact, he hadn’t accepted any of my phone calls since I arrived at the Dark witch’s house, who, for all the bitter and twisted DNA that made her, she had a relatively normal name. Miranda.No one answered me. Miranda continued to sway in her old and tatty rocking chair next to the fireplace and Elder Richard remained quiet as he sat at the head of the dining table.I raised one simple eyebrow in response to their ignorance. Do they not realise how important this all is? Dan could have killed Aiden for all we knew, and the unknown was now beginning to eat away at me.Miranda scowled and then moved her head with a patronising tilt.“Don’t Miranda, just don&rsq
~MILLIE~ Some things in life are guaranteed, like the beautiful sound of the bird’s song as the sun begins to rise or like how the sun sets in the evening, bringing with it a breeze of chilled air that is sure to flush your skin with a gentle tingle, awakening the hairs on your arms. But at my ripe old age, you come to realise that there are still so many things in life, that are not guaranteed. Like falling in love for a start. People often say that love will walk right up to you and smack you square in the face when you least expect it, you know when you’re minding your own business or trying to move on with your life in a certain direction. Who that lover will be, God only knows but what I do know, is that you have no control over it, no matter how hard you try to gip it by the horns and show it who’s boss? You simply end up succumbing to its overbearing power, allowing it to flood your senses and inevitably, turning you into a mushy version of your former self. &
Acknowledgements:Firstly, I would like to acknowledge a few people who have made this book possible.Lyv Aiken, my fellow author you were with me right from the start and truly helped me so much on my journey. You guided me through a process I knew nothing about and coached me when I needed it. moreover, you became a friend to me who understood my life. For that, I will forever be thankful.R L Dickinson, my fellow author, you are some whole lotta crazy, but in a good way. You are like me, but a northern version. Thank you for offering to be my beta, to begin with, but you quickly became my friend and one who I don’t think I could get rid of or want to for that matter. You have had my heartbreaking, my cheeks hurting and a few times, you’ve had me like “whaaaaat”, but obviously in a good way. Thank you for being you and believing in me.To my Beta ladies, Kemely, Missy and Rachel (and you Bec aka R L Di
~MILLIE~ Some things in life are guaranteed, like the beautiful sound of the bird’s song as the sun begins to rise or like how the sun sets in the evening, bringing with it a breeze of chilled air that is sure to flush your skin with a gentle tingle, awakening the hairs on your arms. But at my ripe old age, you come to realise that there are still so many things in life, that are not guaranteed. Like falling in love for a start. People often say that love will walk right up to you and smack you square in the face when you least expect it, you know when you’re minding your own business or trying to move on with your life in a certain direction. Who that lover will be, God only knows but what I do know, is that you have no control over it, no matter how hard you try to gip it by the horns and show it who’s boss? You simply end up succumbing to its overbearing power, allowing it to flood your senses and inevitably, turning you into a mushy version of your former self. &
~TIA~“Pick up your phone, dammit! Why isn’t he picking up his phone?” I screeched, hurling my phone across the room. Dan hadn’t answered once again, in fact, he hadn’t accepted any of my phone calls since I arrived at the Dark witch’s house, who, for all the bitter and twisted DNA that made her, she had a relatively normal name. Miranda.No one answered me. Miranda continued to sway in her old and tatty rocking chair next to the fireplace and Elder Richard remained quiet as he sat at the head of the dining table.I raised one simple eyebrow in response to their ignorance. Do they not realise how important this all is? Dan could have killed Aiden for all we knew, and the unknown was now beginning to eat away at me.Miranda scowled and then moved her head with a patronising tilt.“Don’t Miranda, just don&rsq
~MILLIE~“Drop the fucking gun.” Dan hissed, the rounded metal pushing harder against my skull, I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I was holding, and a single salty tear escaped out of the corner of my eye and rolled down my chilled cheek, finding its way into the crease of my lip. My eyes fluttered unconsciously, clinging onto the vison of Aiden who was still being attacked and although he was holding his own, more men appeared to be jumping on his wolf as quickly as he was tossing them to the ground.With the safety still off and one bullet remaining in the chamber, I felt my way along the cold steel guard that protected the trigger, before placing my finger onto the piece of metal that would allow me to take out another hunter.I won’t let them kill Aiden, they won’t take him away from me.I felt possessed, my mind had been overtaken by an unstoppable fo
~MILLIE~The sight before me was nothing short of barbaric. I hadn't really looked properly when Dan attempted to encourage my view but now, with the shape side of a silver blade to my throat, I had no choice. It was as though I was watching a high-definition thriller movie on a big screen. Blood was literally spraying into the moonlit sky, limbs were being torn from the human hunters as though they were merely a rag doll held together by some flimsy stitching, and even though it appeared that the supernatural werewolves were the winning team, they weren't without injury.As much as I wanted to screw my eyes tight, blocking out the blood-filled rage, I couldn’t. I needed to see Aiden. I needed to know he was ok, and it wasn't long before my clouded vision spotted his overly large wolf.He howled, stilling the other wolves from their fight before all heads turned to face us.Come
~MILLIE~My eyes scanned over the lifeless body slumped on the floor, and even though her head was twisted in the wrong direction, there was a part of me that wanted confirmation that she was gone. “Shit,” I breathed, “I-is she dead?” I asked, my orbs still affixed. He hummed, validating my suspicions. I sighed, slightly relieved that I didn’t need to use the rifle that rested in my hands. My gaze lifted, passing the corpse to her executioner’s bare feet and shins.“Well, as far as introductions go, this is a first.” He said, a hint of humour in his tone.“Huh,” I mumbled, not really hearing what he said.“Errm, maybe this would be an easier encounter if you weren’t still pointing the gun in my direction? After all, I did just save your life,” He chuckled.“Oh, yeah, shit
~AIDEN~“For fucks sake,” I growled, looking down at my unresponsive phone. It must have turned off by accident when I nearly killed Jarrad. I found my gaze subconsciously lifting to see the side of his face and my blood instantly ran hot with anger. His heart rate increased, he knew I was boring a hole into his head and he sensed my rising fury, but he continued to focus on the blackened road around us. ‘Stop it Aiden,’ I thought to myself with a grunt as I forcefully pushed the power button on my phone, waiting for it to spring to life.“N-nearly there.” Jar
~MILLIE~The door scuffed against the floor as it closed, and just like that, she was gone. No, she can’t have just gone. “Come back! Come back you bitch!” I yelled against my restricted body, but the door remained shut. Where was she going? Who did she need to see? Panic began to race through my body as question upon question entered my mind. Everyone I cared for was now in danger and I needed to do something… Anything. Feeling empowered to save my loved ones, I pushed myself up. I felt strong. I felt galvanised.I felt Dan slam my body back down against the tabletop.
~MILLIE~His fist connected with the delicate skin on my cheek, stinging it in an instant. I shrieked and curled up into a tight foetal position, hiding my face from further impact. My eyes flushed with water, not from tears packed with misery, but from the throbbing pain radiating across the left side of my face. Yes, it hurt like a bitch, but what alarmed me the most was the surprise of his punch. He hardly ever hit me in the face.It would attract too much attention to you’,was his excuse, almost like he was doing me a favour. Instead, he would purple my torso and limbs in various shapes and sizes.