by Noelle N
Animal Instinct
Noelle N.
Copyright 2016 Noelle N.
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Disclaimer
All characters appearing in this work are fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Still
Chapter 2 - Found
Chapter 3 - Claim
Chapter 4 - Wreck
Chapter 5 - Belle
Chapter 6 - Dread
Chapter 7 - Quell
Chapter 8 - Beast
Chapter 9 - North
Chapter 10 - Light
Chapter 11 - Touch
Chapter 12 - Rogue
Chapter 13 - Doubt
Chapter 14 - Growl
Chapter 15 - Close
Chapter 16 - Fleur
Chapter 17 - Taste
Chapter 18 - Ghost
Chapter 19 - Haunt
Chapter 20 - Trust
Chapter 21 - Match
Chapter 22 - Queen
Chapter 23 - Spike
Chapter 24 - Guilt
Chapter 25 - Heart
Chapter 26 - Knife
Chapter 27 - Fight
Chapter 28 - Pulse
Chapter 29 - Reign
Chapter 30 - Shift
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01
STILL
" – SHIFT."
The voice was close and jolted me out of the daze I'd fallen into. Glancing up, I raised my eyebrows questioningly at Nicole, who was standing mere feet away, a large garbage bag in her hand. The look on her face was expectant and I realised that she was waiting for my reply – but I hadn't heard a word she'd said to begin with.
"What?" I blurted, after a moment's pause.
She shook her head in silent mirth, eyes crinkling in vague amusement as she stared at me. "I said I'm off my shift. Think you could close up?"
I scanned the kitchen briefly. Most of the chefs had left by now, and it was just the two of us. Turning back to her, I gave a quick nod, forcing a smile on my face and trying not to show how tired I really felt. "Sure."
"I'll leave after taking out the trash," she said, manoeuvring her way past me down the aisle that was farthest away from the stoves. "Night, Quinn."
"Goodnight. See you tomorrow," I added, ducking my head down and resuming my task. A stray lock of hair fell into my eyes and I impatiently blew it out of my eyes, before continuing to scrub the grime off the pans.
This wasn't anything new. I'd been working here for close to six months now and this was routine. A part of me wished I could be one of the chefs here. I could – I knew I could, but without a culinary certificate, I was pretty much reduced to doing menial tasks, like washing the dishes or taking orders. Still, I couldn't complain. As one of the most popular eateries in town, the place was always filled with customers even long after our closing time at nine, but the place paid well and the customers here were exceedingly generous with their tips.
It wasn't until a good twenty minutes later when I was finally done, and by then, Nicole had already left. As quickly as my weary, heavy limbs would allow me, I pushed in the remaining chairs back to their respective places, before retrieving my bag from the cupboard and heading to the back door.
I was still in the middle of locking the stubborn, rusty catch when a sudden howl ripped through the cold wind. It was like an echo through the empty street, and somehow sounded frightened, desperate.
Wolves.
I spun round quickly, feeling my skin crawl as the howling continued. This wasn't supposed to be a surprise – I'd always known that the town was near a forested area that supposedly was home to hundreds of creatures, but this, this was close. Far too close, far too lethal.
Flipping the lock tight, I yanked the key out and stuffed it into my bag. Without wasting another moment, I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my white coat and hastily strode off in the direction of the nearest bus stop. The cold nipped at my face and I huffed out warm wisps of air. It was freezing, and I knew I should've taken out my gloves when I had the chance to, but really, I was just more concerned with getting away from whatever it was back there.
Only I didn't.
And when I crossed to the next pavement, my heart leapt into my throat as I glimpsed a flash of black and brown fur, all snarls and teeth and growls. A large, feral black wolf had its jaws clamped around the neck of a brown one, and I had passed by just in time to hear the agonising, sickening crunch that followed as the black wolf brutally snapped the neck of the other. Then, with another growl, it viciously tore the brown wolf's throat out. It was all blood and guts, staining the gravel below and bleaching the white snow crimson red.
I couldn't decide whether I wanted to retch or scream, but I did neither. Instead, my first instinct was to flee and I quickly took a step back. But the sound of my boots scuffing against the snow-covered road was loud enough for the black wolf to hear, and its head snapped up to me immediately.
The first thing I noticed was that the wolf's eyes were hued a faint but piercing green.
My heart was slamming erratically in my chest as I looked at the creature with wide eyes and a horrified expression on my face.
Think, Quinn, think.
The wolf took a step closer and I found my hand darting into my bag, fingers latching round a special metal case that I brought with me everywhere. "Go away," I said lowly, my voice a tight rasp in the tired wind. I couldn't even fathom why I thought talking to an animal was a good idea, but the wolf's eyes seemed to lock on mine as I spoke.
My fingers were still fumbling around the metal case, until I found the catch on it and tugged it open. A shard of silver fell out of the box and I clasped my fingers around it, feeling suddenly courageous with a weapon in my hand.
"I mean it," I said, louder this time, when the wolf took another step closer. I hoped against hope that someone would hear, but the streets were empty this time of day. Removing my hand from the bag, I brandished the sharp knife in front of myself and watched in relief as the wolf quickly fell a step back. "Don't make me kill you."
Taking a deep breath, I gradually backed away, right foot, left foot, slowly but surely placing a safe distance between myself and that vicious creature. The wolf watched me throughout, its green eyes frighteningly unnerving. I could've sworn I heard a faint whine from it at one point, but I focused instead on making it out of there alive.
But just as I thought I could high tail out of there and make a run for it, my right foot caught on a bit of slippery road and I promptly lost my balance, tumbling down onto the ground in a clumsy heap. My palms scraped painfully against the gravel in my attempt to break the fall, knife clattering onto the ground beside me and I winced in pain.
"Damn it," I whispered, quickly dragging myself back up. But a flash of black fur crossed my peripheral vision, and I spun round, a silent scream lodged in my throat as I watched the wolf run towards me, closing the distance in five, four, three, two –
I didn't even think.
My fingers were reaching out for the knife in a blind frenzy, and I swung it out at the wolf just as it lunged for me. I felt the impact as the knife buried itself into the wolf's body, a surge of warm red seeping onto my hand in the next instant. With a
terrifying howl, the wolf sprung away from me like it had touched an open flame, collapsing heavily onto its side.
My throat was clogged and I felt like I could barely breathe. All I saw was red and black and white, crimson blood seeping through the cracks between the snow, and the silver edge of the knife buried deep in the wolf's black fur. My fingers were stained red and so was the hem of my coat.
"I'm so sorry," I rasped, staring at the dead creature with wide eyes, my heart pounding erratically in my chest. It was an accident – self-preservation had won out in the end, but I felt my gut twist at the thought of having killed an animal so instinctively.
With an effort, I climbed to my feet, my boots scrapping against the ground as I stumbled away from the wolf. The streets were silent and dark now, and I forced myself to walk away, never once looking back.
* * *
It took me two glasses of wine before I finally felt myself starting to calm down. A faint buzz stirred in my veins and after setting my empty wine glass down on the coffee table, I leaned my head against the arm of the couch and shut my eyes.
Only when I did, all I saw was black fur and green eyes. Pretty green eyes. It looked entirely uncommon on a wolf but somehow seemed to fit perfectly. I couldn't quite shake the image and opened my eyes, letting out a weary sigh that was barely heard above the low hum from the television playing in the background.
Despite my overall unease, and the fact that I was being constantly haunted by mental images of a dead wolf, I couldn't help but feel drowsy. Minutes later, I was almost drifting off to sleep when I suddenly heard a firm, but urgent knocking on the front door.
I scrambled up, eyes wide and breathing hitched. Because really, what were the odds of someone knocking on the door at this time of the day? Nothing good ever happened past midnight, and in a small town like this, a knock on the door or a telephone call at such a late hour could only mean bad news.
Nervously, I padded my way across the room, pushing myself up on the tips of my toes to stare out through the peephole on the door. The sight of a man and a woman standing there eased my nerves a little – at least it wasn't two men; but I still fell a step back when the woman knocked on the door again.
"Quinn Reilly?" The woman's voice was muffled from the other side. "We're here on an important matter and we need your assistance."
Steeling myself, I placed one palm flat on the door and looked through the peephole again. The both of them looked rather impatient, the man leaning against the door opposite with his arms folded across his chest. "Who are you?" I asked, loud enough for them to hear.
"We're from the wildlife association division catering to the specific care and welfare of wolves in this tri-state area. We learnt that there had been a wolf attack about an hour ago and we'd like to speak to you about it."
I quickly unlatched the door, pulling it open just an inch. "I'm very sorry I killed it, honestly," I said quietly, when the two of them looked over at me. "It was just – I didn't think, I just – "
"Oh, that's fine." The woman waved my concerns away. "We'd just like you to describe what happened, so we'd have a better grasp of the situation."
I let out a breath I hadn't even realised I'd been holding. "Okay, well – I was on my way home, and I heard some howling. Obviously, I wasn't looking for trouble so I just hurried along on my usual route, but I didn't expect to come across two wolves in the middle of a vicious attack – "
"Wait," she cut me off, her head jerking up as she surveyed me with a sharp, accessing gaze. "Two wolves?"
I frowned. "Yes. One black, one brown – "
"You killed the brown one?"
"No, the brown one was killed by the black. Then the black wolf tried to attack me, so I stabbed it with my knife." My frown deepened when they exchanged a glance. "What's wrong?"
There was a pause. And then the woman shoved her clipboard back in her bag and I froze when the man took a step closer to me, placing his palm flat against the door to keep it propped open.
"Ms Reilly," the woman started calmly, but I didn't miss the sliver of tension taut in her voice. "We'd like if you could come along with us to help with our investigation."
"What?" I straightened, taking a step back and keeping my fingers locked around the doorknob. "What're you talking about – "
"Ms Reilly – "
I kept my knee pressed against the door when the man tried to push it open. The fear was mounting, and I struggled to keep my voice calm. "Who are you?"
"We told you; we're from the wildlife association division – "
"The wildlife association division would not force its way into someone's home uninvited!" My eyes darted around the house until I found my phone sitting on the counter. "Don't make me call the cops."
The woman paused, and exchanged another glance with her companion. There was a momentary flicker of unspoken understanding between the two, and I stumbled back when the man suddenly pushed the door open with an unexpected amount of force. Heart pounding in my chest, I quickly spun out of the way when he reached for me, stepping through the doorway with the woman in tow.
"Ms Reilly, we need you to keep calm – "
"What – " I trailed off when the man's fingers wrapped around my wrist at the next moment in a vice-like grip. "Let go of me!"
"My apologies – "
"Don't apologise to her, Diego," the woman said sharply, her blue eyes accessing the situation with a calm coldness as she advanced closer. "She's one of them."
"I don't even know what you're talking about!" Instinctively, I jabbed my elbow into the man's chest. It barely fazed him, but it was enough for him to loosen my wrist just fractionally, and I wrenched myself from his grasp, dropping my phone on the floor in the process.
The woman smirked, stepping forward and kicking my phone out of the way. "You know what we're talking about, Quinn."
"I really don't!" Forcefully pushing Diego back when he tried to reach for me again, I stumbled into the kitchen, stubbing my toe painfully against the table along the way and using the furniture between to put a good distance between. But as the two of them stepped even closer, I reached for the nearest knife on the shelf, raising it at them. "Get out of my house!"
"Oh, Diego, she's adorable." The woman's smile widened when she saw me brandish the knife. "Go ahead, darling, try to kill us."
I raised the knife threateningly, but that was the most I could do. She was by my side in a flash, sharp nails digging into my skin as she held my wrist tightly, so tightly I half thought she was going to break my bones.
And her blue eyes – they were obsidian.
My fear escalated, terror racing a chill down my spine as she tightened her grip on my wrist, forcing me to drop the knife with a clatter. "Should've killed me when you had the chance," She said, an unchanging, cold smile on her face.
"Let go of me!" I wrenched my wrist from her grip and, with my other, reached for another knife behind me. Diego was closing in from the other side and I brandished it at him, trying my best to keep my hands from shaking. "What do you want with me?"
Diego's fingers tightened round my wrist in an instant. What happened next was pure instinct, as I twisted away from him, the knife slashing right across his arm with that very action. He wrenched away, muttering a string of expletives as the sharp blade tore apart his skin in a vicious, jagged line.
"You bitch," he hissed, reaching out with lightning quick reflexes, his hand tightening around my throat. I watched in horror as the wound on his arm sealed itself in the next second, his skin lining together like it was being sewed back by an invisible needle.
Dropping the knife, I reached up futilely, hands grasping at him in a desperate attempt to breathe. My throat clammed up and I felt myself suffocating, black dots lining my vision. I was going to die. I was really going to die and I was terrified.
"Diego." The woman's voice sliced thin through the tense atmosphere. "She's human. They don't hold their breath very well."
Diego qu
ickly loosened his grip on my throat and I doubled up, choking and trying my best to regain my breath. My face was deathly pale and blood rushed to my head as I fought for composure. But the reprieve didn't last long, and I felt sharp nails dig into my skin as the woman wrapped her hand around my arm to yank me back up. She reached out with her other hand to grasp my chin, forcing me to look her in the eyes.
Her eyes were still obsidian.
"What are you?" I stuttered.
"Oh, Quinn." The woman shook her head in amusement, even as her gaze sharpened with lethal intent. "I would've thought you'd figured it out by now."
02
FOUND
I awoke to the sounds of hushed whispers and shuffles of feet. The room was completely empty, but the shadows outside were real. And as my vision aligned, I felt everything simultaneously return in bits and pieces, flashbacks. Killing a black wolf. Diego and an unnamed woman forcing their way into my home. Almost getting strangled to death by sheer brute force. Lightning reflexes. Regenerative healing.
Obsidian eyes.
A chill ran down my spine as I remembered that final bit, just before Diego had clocked me on the back of my neck, effectively knocking me out. Slowly, I realised that I was still wearing the same clothes I had on the night before, the fresh set I'd changed into after heading home. I pushed myself up, feeling a painful tug on my arm in the process. An IV drip was lodged into my veins, and I jerked away in alarm, staring wildly at the bag of fluids that was attached to me.
Immediately, one of the monitor screens began to beep loudly and the door was flung open the next instant as a man rushed into the room. "Quinn." He gingerly placed a hand on my shoulder to ease me back down. He had a white coat pulled over his clothes and he looked barely a few years older than I was. "I need you to stay calm."
"Don't touch me!" I wrenched away from him. "What are you injecting into me?"
