by Avery Duncan
Feral Passion
Title Page
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Epilogue
Feral Passion
By Avery Duncan
Copyright 2011 Avery Duncan
Smashwords Edition
Prologue
Feral Passion
Prologue
Kill.
Hide.
Destroy.
The animals that I hunt, they lead an easy life—far more easier than I want them to.
So I take. I take their lives, their souls, their very essence from the world that they have tainted.
Humans had once been an honorable species, treasured by the Creators as a mother would adore her children. Slowly, time started to erode their minds, made them believe that the humans were not enough. They hungered for something more, something…superior.
With this hunger, this need, they created the barbarians, the very reason the world was so corrupt. The humans slowly fell in caste, slowly fell from the minds of the Creators as the new race began to infect the world that had once been pure.
They had created the bastards that had ruined mankind.
Animals. Abominations. Repulsive creatures who didn't deserve what humans would call a soul, a life.
First came the Archaeos, the first and all powerful race that began to contaminate the human world, degrading the lives of humans. They drew their unearthly and unwanted powers from within the earth. One would call them shifters, or maybe even were people—I would call them a plague.
Soon enough, the Acutos came, the followers of the night. Frightening and more menacing, quicker to kill the superior human race. Life as all mankind knew it was forever changed when the first of them came.
The races lived together at first, peaceful. Fights and murders soon to break out, the Creators came up with an idea.
An idea that would bring peace to the races.
Pacchettos were assigned to certain regions, reigning and controlling the races as best they could, peace filling the land once more.
That is, until one of the leaders became corrupt. He forced them to compliance, forced them to become interracial. He made the Acutos and Archaeos come together in mating, seeking power with a hunger that petrified the lives of those who were under his control. He knew that together, the Acutos and Archaeos were destined to be the greatest warriors man could have made.
Destined to bring about a new era.
Instead? They overcame him, and a new pacchetto was assigned. There has been no change, the races pushed together by even the newest leader.
What do I think of them?
Feeble monsters who have no right to partake with humankind.
My goal in life?
To kill every single one of them—starting with the weakest.
The females.
Chapter 1
"I do beg your pardon!" the appalled voice said from above.
"I'm just saying…"
"No! I don't even want to hear it! Just…shut up!"
Mary closed her eyes on a sigh.
Of course.
Kevin never knew when to stop, to take a breath and think things through. And when everything came crumbling down around him, he blamed her angrily for any advice she would try to give.
"Can you please just calm down, at least for a second?" she tried again, hopeful that there wouldn't be any more dramatics.
"Why should I?" he asked, sounding disgruntled. She could just imagine him crossing his arms over his chest, lip sticking out in a pout.
"Oh, I don't know… Maybe because you aren't bothering to listen, and the world is going to die if you don’t?" The example she gave was mocking, but if only Kevin really knew how serious she was.
A snort came, and then the sound of rustling.
Once again, Mary wished she could see Kevin, just long enough to bonk some sense into his head. Here she was, standing below his…"form", pleading and trying to get some sense into the man that was supposed to keep a whole race alive and safe.
Was it too much to ask that he might take the time to let her actually see him, instead of having her stand on a plain white platform that screamed "boring" and "neat freak"? Apparently, she thought, letting her head fall back, arms crossing over her chest again.
"Explain to me your 'plan' then, Mary Waters. Try and make me see the light in whatever you think will work, because right now? I'm at the end of my wits and that beast is not helping in the slightest!" Kevin ended with a bark of anger, and she barely held back her flinch.
The "beast" in question was going to be put to sleep soon enough, and it seemed that Kevin was all too ready to do so.
"Kevin… I think that you should put the different races into separate tribes. Just for a bit, to see how things go—" he started to object, but she held up a hand in the empty space, knowing that he would see it even though she couldn't see him.
"Just listen," she grated, narrowing her eyes upward.
A resounding sigh emitted.
"Thank you," she said, resorting to a more calm voice. "Now, as I was saying. I know that you don't like change. I really do understand that. But times are changing, the youth is becoming more rowdy, and the people…need to be separated. For a time," she amended, shutting her eyes against another sigh.
“And how do you suggest we do this, oh wise one?” She wished she could slap the sarcasm out of his voice. Hell, she knew he didn’t want to change anything, but she also knew that he knew that this had been coming for a while.
Not just because of “the beast”, as Kevin was prone to calling him, but because the whole generation was. . .torn. Broken and messed up, fighting and killing each other.
“We take them. Put them away from each other. Watch what happens.” Mary flared out her hands in a suggestive manner, knowing her answers were short and becoming slightly irritated.
“And you think that this. . .would work?” he asked, sounding slightly dumbfounded.
She paused, considering her answer. Then she shrugged. “I think that this might help. I’m not saying ‘work’ and I honestly don’t even expect the races to stay separated for that long. I just want to try it, and deep down? I know you want to, too.”
Silence.
Mary looked at the ground, hiding her impatience.
Every. Single. Time.
“When. . .” He coughed. “When do you think we should. . .initiate all of this?”
Mary could just imagine him right now. Hands twisting, colorless hair a mess, pacing around in agitation, eyes flicking everywhere and anywhere. The sight of him, she would never know.
Nor did she want to.
He kept himself separated from everyone else, preferring to stay locked up in the Above, while leaving her
to do all of the foot work.
His way of communicating with her? Dream invasions. Just as it was right now. Everything around her was white and boring, clean to the point of sparkling. The sky was a dull gray, if it could be called that. Trees were colorless and looked to be made out of glass.
The only sign of life was the quiet swan, who swam in the only pond, by the only tree. How boring, she thought. Kevin must really be insane, to live like this and be pleased. But, seeing as he was a bi-polar couch potato, she wasn’t all that surprised.
“Mary? Answer me, I’m close to just waking you up.”
She stopped the glare and the groan, answering with a deadpan, dread filled, “After the summer solstice.”
Chapter 2
When Mary woke, it was only to a pounding headache and a sense of dread that killed her appetite for the day. She wished that the races could have continued to get along, that they could have stayed friendly and happy, without the violence and killing.
Sitting up, she rubbed her forehead and sighed.
Nothing was ever easy, though, so why should nature be anything different? The people weren’t just going to fix themselves, and neither was Kevin, it seemed. When did he ever, though? She was left to deal with the anger, the fighting, the arguments, the rude attitudes, and everything in between.
Grabbing onto her blanket and pulling it around her shoulders, she stood up from the bed on wobbly legs, wishing that it weren’t so cold in the house that she was being forced to stay in.
The mirror placed against the wall made her cringe when she looked into it. Her dark hair was around her face, eyes drowsy yet emotionless. Her shoulders, which were normally straight and proud, were slumped with exhaustion and fatigue.
The entire arrangement with the races was really starting to get to her, she thought, groaning. How was she going to go about separating them? Mary didn’t want to deal with the fighting, the anger, and all the other junk that the animals were prone to do.
Looking away from her image in the mirror, Mary padded her way into the bathroom, dazed and completely out of it.
Shower. Wash. Dry. She went through the steps slowly, feeling a tightness around her body that was quickly becoming annoying.
Mary thought of the meeting that she would have to arrange, the protection she might need to hire, and, once again, the arguing.
Why the hell can’t Kevin just hunker his ass on down here, and take care of his people himself? Was that too much to ask? He looked down on them, she knew he did. So why was he always looking for her to carry out the crap that needed to be done?
Scowling into her closet, she picked out her outfit for the day. Mary was definitely going to have to talk to the chief about all of this, and then the person who was causing all of this trouble.
Not that he would listen to her though, she thought. Her eyes rolled as she got into her clothing, the soft fabrics sliding against her skin, the only solace she had at the moment.
Mary knew it was wrong to purposely not think of things that would change the lives of many—for better or for worse. After everything she had thought of, this was the only way to finally have peace.
She got out her phone, closing her eyes briefly as she thought about what was going to happen after the call. It was only early March, and the solstice wasn’t till June, but that didn’t mean it would be an easy ride till then.
“It’s Waters,” she said into the phone once the caller had answered.
“Hey, I was just about to call you. Did you hear about Jared?” the voice asked quizzically.
Her shoulders slumped. “Oh, god. What did he do now?” Please don’t be murder, please. . .
“He got put into the hospital.”
That had her sitting up straighter. “Wait, what?” Her eyes widened, and her hand flew to her chest.
“Yeah, some lady was crossing the street. Classic; some dumbass wasn’t watching where he was going and the car was flying down the street. Jared just happened to be there—and I mean right there because he had enough time to grab the lady and shove her. Instead of her getting hit, he took the blow and got his leg blown out.”
What. . . She couldn’t think of anything to say—at all. He had saved someone? Of his own free will? Mary felt a stirring of hope; maybe he wouldn’t have to be put down. She felt herself smiling, despite the fact that Jared was in the hospital.
“That’s wonderful,” she exclaimed, fully meaning the emotion.
“That’s. . .what? Are you high?”
She shook her head, then remembered that he couldn’t see it and said, “No, but that means there is a chance that he won’t have to be. . .” She trailed off, grimacing.
“Oh, I get you. Yeah, that part is great. But what did you call for?”
“We need to set up a meeting.” The light air in her voice drained out as she thought about what was going to happen.
The other end of the line went silent, and she could have cursed as she finally realized just how bad this was going to get.
“About what.”
She bit her lip, considering what to say. Mary didn’t want the word to spread and everyone to start. . .rebelling. That wasn’t what they needed right now.
“Separation,” she finally said, quietly.
“And what do you mean by that.”
She shut her eyes tightly as she said, “The races need to be separated. The fighting and killings can’t go on any longer. We used to have a status, and we need to make it happen again. You know it’s the best we can do.”
The sound of static rang in her ears at her last words.
“I. . .see.” The voice was surprisingly calm, almost detached.
“It’s the way it has to be. . .” She felt like she had to explain herself, that everything was her fault. The reality of it was settling a weight in her chest that she was struggling to ignore.
“Mary, don’t worry about it. I understand.” Ulrich Waters sighed into the phone, and she felt her chest lighten. The chief of the community was agreeing with her, or at least understood why it was happening. Mary needed the chief’s agreement and that was close to being it.
Now that she had it, she had to start organizing it. Mary winced, her chest hurting deep down.
“Do you want me to talk to Mom and Dad about it?” her brother asked.
Just thinking about the disapproval her parents would express about her decision made her want to sniffle. “I would prefer that you keep it to yourself for now. I just want you to be prepared for everything, and make sure that I have your back on this. It isn’t for a couple of months, so I want to keep it at a down low and slowly reveal it to everyone.”
“You do realize what this is going to do, right?”
“I do.”
“I just hope that the smaller divisions of the Acutos are alright with this. They might be numbered, but they are vicious,” Ulrich warned, sounding worried.
“Don’t even worry about me.” She snorted, knowing that her brother only worried because he cared but also knowing that she could take care of herself when the time came.
Fucking Kevin, she thought, glaring at her counter top as if it were the object of her anger.
“If this gets too out of hand too fast, I will be telling Dad about this, got it?”
She sighed into the receiver. “Fine, but it won’t so don’t hold your breath.”
A grunt came from him. “I have to go, but I’ll call you later on to talk about this. I also need to talk with the other Pacchetto leaders. Until then, be safe and don’t go too hard on Jared about crap. Old bastard can’t handle it anymore.”
“Yeah, love you too,” she said drolly, then hung up her phone and slipped it into her pocket. Grabbing her car keys and purse, she headed out the door to her silver Audi, turning on the engine when she was seated.
Before she knew where she knew where she was going, she felt her hands steer her in the direction of the hospital, St. Mercy. It only took her a couple of minutes to find a parking spac
e and when she did, she strode into the lobby.
The building smelt of death and old people, yet sterile and. . .empty. A bald child was sitting in a wheel chair, playing with blocks on his lap. Her heart clenched when she saw a girl of equal age, only about seven or eight, go up to him with a drawing book.
One of her arms was missing.
Taking a breath and fighting tears at the sight, Mary walked to the desk.
“Visiting hours are from eight AM to nine PM.” She got that as her way of greeting. The fading-haired lady didn’t even bother to look up from her computer, just kept typing.
Mary frowned, leaning onto the desk. “I’m here to see Jared Hillard. Car accident victim?”
Alert eyes snapped to hers, and when Mary got out her ID and let the lady read it, she received a look that seemed off. Shrugging mentally and forgetting about it, she gave the lady an impatient glare. “I need to talk to him, if you don’t mind.”
“Just a second here. . .” The ladies fingers got to typing and when she was done, her manicured nail pointed behind her, to the left. “Take the elevator up to the second floor and he should be on the right side of the hall. Room 209.”
Nodding shortly, she followed the directions, walking through the white painted walls. Her eyes scanned the number tags on the wall, and when she found the one she was looking for, she paused at the door.
Under normal circumstances, Jared and her were barely civil. Only because he knew she was trying to help, and he obviously didn’t want it.
Tough for him.
“Jared?” Her voice was soft as it floated into the room, earning a grunt for a reply.
She stepped into the room, gearing up for the fight. The joy of being a do-goodie.
Chapter 3
As Mary sat in the chair across from the man who was currently propped up against the reclining chair, she gave a smile and reached out a hand to cover his. He was wearing a plain white, dotted hospital dress that was glaringly bright against his dark skin.
“So how are you, pops?” she asked, smiling wider when he gave a snort.
“I’m not that old that you need to be calling me pops.” He glared at her through icy blue eyes, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.
