Power Awakened
The Feral
Charlene Hartnady
Copyright © July 2018, Charlene Hartnady
Cover Art by Melody Simmons
Copy Edited by KR
Proofread by [email protected]
Produced in South Africa
[email protected]
Power Awakened is a work of fiction and characters, events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews no part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without prior consent in writing from the author.
Created with Vellum
Contents
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
About the Author
Also by Charlene Hartnady
Excerpt
Chapter 1
It was too late to duck. Pain exploded behind her eye and she was flung backwards. With this kind of momentum, Kerry knew that it would be impossible to keep her footing. She gripped her belly with both hands and tried to fall in such a way that would not injure her unborn child.
She’d found out just two days ago that they were having a boy. Jeff had been too busy to go to her doctor’s appointment with her. Now she knew why.
She landed hard on the marble floor of their condo. Pain shooting through her hip, which took the brunt of the fall. She couldn’t catch her breath for a few seconds as sharp pain slashed through her. Jeff said something, but she couldn’t make out what it was at first.
“You aren’t going anywhere!” he shouted again, leaning down, so that he could look her head-on. His eyes were hard. His mouth set in a grim line. “Get up.” He pointed at her suitcase. “Unpack. Do it now,” he added the last unnecessarily.
Breathe! Stay calm and breathe. “Okay.” Her voice was a tad shaky. “Fine.”
“On your feet!” he yelled, his face red.
Kerry swallowed hard, nodding once. She could feel that her eye was puffing up already. It felt hot and throbbed in time with her heartbeat. She needed to play along. Her hip was throbbing as well. She moved her toes and then bent her knee. Needles shot through her hip but nothing felt broken. At least, she didn’t think so. She started to stand. Knowing that if she didn’t do as he said and soon, she would pay the price. Kerry couldn’t have him hit her again. This time he might not stop. He might just hurt her son. Maybe this time he would get her in the belly. She had to bite back a moan as she rose to her feet. Her hip hurt. Her lip was still bleeding from the first punch he’d landed. “I’ll unpack right away.” There was a slurred edge to her voice.
“You do realize that all of this is your fault, don’t you?”
Like hell! “Yes.” Kerry forced the word out, tasting bile in the back of her throat.
“You’re my fiancée and you’re not putting out. You won’t even blow me.” He snorted.
Asshole! She wanted to tell him that she had just gotten over severe morning sickness. That was a major reason why she hadn’t felt much like sex, let alone giving him a damned blowjob. The effects of pregnancy definitely didn’t give him the right to go looking for it elsewhere. It didn’t work like that. What a dick. What an asshole!
Kerry nodded once, she walked over to her bag and unzipped it, moving slowly and carefully. Her whole body ached. Her eyes pricked but she held back the tears. Didn’t want to give the son of a bitch the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
Jeff smirked. “Maybe I’ve been on those single to mingle online sites but you can rest assured that I’ve made it very clear I only want sex. I love you, Kerry. You are my future. Once that,” he pointed at her belly, “is out of you, then we can go back to how we were.” Like hell!
Jeff didn’t love her, just like he didn’t love their child. There was only one person Jeff loved and that person was himself. There was no way she could tell him that she loved him back because she didn’t. It was true, at one time she had loved him. Over the last few months though, her feelings for him had been sorely tested, and now this…this was too much. Now all she felt was contempt. It was over! Only, he didn’t seem to get that. Jeff was too arrogant, too self-absorbed to realize it.
“It’s fine. I understand.” She nodded again, continuing to play along.
“I’m glad we finally see eye-to-eye.” He smiled. “Only one of yours is a bit swollen.” He snorted out a snicker. She could add ‘sadistic’ to the list of things she was beginning to realize about Jeff. “Now…” He grabbed her by the wrist, his face suddenly turning nasty. His eyes narrowed. “You’re going to finish unpacking and then clean this house. I expect dinner on the table by six. I have work to do. Someone has to bring in the bacon and it sure as hell isn’t you. If I want sex, you had better open those legs of yours. If I want to fuck someone else, I don’t want to hear anything about it, do you hear me?”
Kerry nodded, reminding herself that she was doing what she needed to do to keep her son safe. She curled her hand protectively around her belly. Then cursed herself for her weakness when she broke eye contact so that she could look at her feet. His stare was too harsh. Too cruel.
His grip on her arm tightened and she cried out, trying to move away. He wouldn’t let go though, not until she looked back up at him. His eyes glinted with…humor…he was enjoying hurting and taunting her.
Bastard!
“Don’t think about leaving while I’m at work today. I will find you. I know where your sorry excuse for a family live. You have nowhere else to go.” He shook his head. “Stay in line and do as I say and you’ll have a roof over your head and food in your belly. You need the medical cover right now.” He looked down at her stomach, his face tightening with distaste. Then he looked up at her. “I love you, Kerry.” He put his arm around her and she had to work not to tense up, not to outright pull away. “I’ll look after you…after you both.” His voice became clipped as he spoke of the baby.
Jeff didn’t want this child. He’d tried to talk her into an abortion and had even questioned whether the baby was his. Her eyes pricked again, but she blinked the tears away.
He pulled her tighter against him. “We’re going through a rough patch but we’re going to be just fine,” he murmured, before pulling back. He turned and began to walk away. She was about to breathe out in relief when he stopped and glanced back. “Oh, and make the prawn linguini I love so much.”
She nodded and plastered on a smile. At least, as much as she could smile with a split lip. “I will, and I hope everything goes well at the office.”
“Of course it will go well.” Another famous Jeff smirk. She couldn’t believe how she’d ever fallen for all his bullshit. “I’ll see you a bit later.” He kissed her cheek and headed out the door. Not once did it occur to him that she might disobey him. Je
ff could go and suck on eggs if he thought she was staying.
Thankfully her clothes were only half unpacked, shouldn’t take too long to have her bag ready again. Then she stopped what she was doing. What if Jeff was testing her? What if he came back in ten minutes only to find that she was all packed and ready to go? Or worse, what if he caught her leaving?
Abandoning her bag where it was, she began cleaning the house. Pushing the vacuum cleaner backwards and forwards. Going through the motions but not really doing much. Not that she could do a whole lot with her hip throbbing and her lip still bleeding.
Half an hour became forty minutes, which was soon an hour. He had to have left by now. Surely he wouldn’t still be waiting for her? Jeff wasn’t very patient so she doubted he was still there. She had to be sure though.
Worry and indecision ate at her. Then she had an idea. Kerry reached for her phone and dialed his office. His personal assistant answered after two rings.
“Hi Liezel,” Cool and casual. “Is Jeff in?”
“Yes, he is. I’m afraid he’s in a session right now though, so I can’t put you through.”
“Oh,” she pretended to sound defeated. “That’s too bad, I’ll try him later.”
“I’ll tell him you called.”
“No!” A little too rushed and maybe a bit shrill. “Don’t worry.” More evenly delivered. “He’s so busy. I don’t want you to bug him. I was going to ask what he wanted for dinner, but I’ll just prepare his favorite to be sure.”
“Good idea! It must be so wonderful to be able to stay home and relax.”
“It’s awesome.” She tried not to sound sarcastic.
Liezel didn’t seem to notice because she sighed dramatically. “To be able to just look after your man like that and prepare for the birth of your first child.” Another sigh. “I had to go back to work within weeks. My stitches were barely out.”
“I’m very lucky.” If only Liezel knew. “I look forward to being a stay-at-home mom.” She hoped she didn’t sound like a robot.
Again, Liezel didn’t seem to notice anything untoward. She spoke a bit more about her own pregnancy and then they said their goodbyes. Kerry put the phone down and huffed out a breath of her own. She needed to get the hell out of there.
Moving as quickly as her injuries would allow, she made her way back to the bedroom and repacked her bag. There was no way she could keep up with this act for even a moment longer. She would find a way to protect her child. Kerry had a couple of hundred dollars. Not much, but enough to hole up somewhere while her bruises healed. Then she’d find a job and a way to get by.
Chapter 2
Cadon stuffed his hands into his jean pockets. Jeans. They were Levi jeans. Levi being a brand name. So, he was learning. He’d been there a couple of months already.
Humans still looked at him strangely because he couldn’t bring himself to wear a thick coat in the middle of winter. He wasn’t cold though. Not even a little bit. He’d tried wearing one but it was just too stuffy. The others had the same problem. Shifters didn’t feel cold like the humans did and his species was used to not wearing anything at all. Talon hated it just as much as he did. They’d taken to wearing sweaters or lightweight jackets instead. As long as their arms and feet were covered, they mostly got away with it.
Talon.
The male had been acting strangely ever since his return home. He seemed preoccupied, different somehow. Leukos had asked Cadon on several occasions whether he knew if something was wrong. If something had happened.
Cadon had his suspicions, and they were finally confirmed. It was a female. A human female. Of course it was. Why else would Talon request that Cadon check in on her? In the end, Talon was his friend and he’d asked Cadon to check up on this Vicky female and not to tell anyone about it. He, of course, would honor his friend’s wishes. He didn’t fully understand this preoccupation though. Talon was mated, the male’s female might be dead but that didn’t change things. Just as with his own female, whom he had lost thirteen years ago. He halted in his tracks as the memories accosted him. Memories of her smile, her scent, how worried they had been when they found out she was with clutch and then yes…He took a step back, leaning against the wall for support. Memories of her death. He waited a few minutes for his emotions to come back under control. He began walking again, turning the corner and continuing towards the row of apartments.
Cadon stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of her. Shoulders hunched, making her look even smaller than she already was. She favored her left leg. No, make that, she was limping. She was trying not to, but he could see that she was. He noticed that she wasn’t wearing a thick coat, or gloves, or any of the other winter clothing the humans liked to don either. Maybe that’s what made him notice her in the first place. That and the slight swell to her middle. Was the female with child? She was skinny everywhere except for her belly, which was very lightly rounded.
As always, he was mesmerized by the thought of the new life that would be growing inside her. His own species had been denied this basic right to continuation. Pain flared in him all over again.
Then the female looked up and his blood froze before turning fiery hot. Her eye was swollen shut and badly bruised. The coloring ‒ reds and pinks ‒ indicated that she had been beaten not very long ago. Her lip was split, it too was still raw. From experience, he knew that if she so much as gave a half-smile, she would reopen it.
The female pulled a bag behind her. It was on wheels.
She put a splayed hand to her belly. Definitely with child then. Every protective instinct awoke inside him. Logically, he knew it was because of the clutch he had lost. Of the future he had been denied.
It didn’t lessen his need to protect though. Unable to stop himself, he followed behind her. Staying far enough away so as not to startle her. She made her way into an apartment building and slowly ascended the stairs.
Again, he didn’t want to approach and startle her even though everything in him cried out to help her. She clearly needed help. After what felt like an age, she walked down the hallway of the second floor.
Taking the stairs four at a time, he quickly caught up with her and watched as she entered an apartment. Wait just a minute. This was the apartment that he had been sent to by Talon. It fit the male’s description perfectly. He took out the piece of paper from his pocket and sure enough, the symbols matched the ones next to the door she had just entered.
What was this?
Who was this female?
Chapter 3
Kerry tried not to think too much about who was on the other side of the door. Tried to ignore the biggest question rushing through her mind.
Why was she here?
Why right now?
The only answer she had was that she was experiencing an overwhelming need to fix things. To set things straight, and it couldn’t wait. If it was going to happen. It needed to be today, before she lost her nerve.
This woman was going to slam the door in her face and she wouldn’t be able to blame her. Kerry took another deep breath. No! She had to dig deep. She had to do this. It was a part of cleaning the slate so that she could move on and put all of this behind her. Using every ounce of will-power she possessed, Kerry knocked on the door. She cringed and momentarily considered running away.
Instead, she continued to breathe deeply, trying to breathe low so as not to hyperventilate. After a minute, there was no response, so she knocked again, harder this time. Maybe she wasn’t there. Her heart beat faster, hoping it was true. There was a huge part of her that didn’t want to face up to this person. Not now and not ever.
Jeff’s ex opened the door and gasped, her eyes widening like saucers.
Kerry burst into tears as soon as their eyes locked. What had she been thinking? “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I shouldn’t have come. It was wrong of me.” She looked away, began to turn. Kerry could feel her cheeks turning hot at the way Vicky stared at her. At how a look of pity took hold of the othe
r woman’s face. She couldn’t blame Vicky. She must look a mess.
“No, wait!” Vicky half-yelled. “Come in, please.” She gestured into her apartment.
Flip! She tried to stop crying but she couldn’t hold back the tears. Now that the well was open, tears streaked down Kerry’s cheeks and her nose was running, so she sniffed. She could see that Vicky was looking from her black eye to her cut lip. Kerry’s face throbbed, since she hadn’t wanted to take any pain killers.
“Come in and sit down,” Vicky repeated, her eyes held a look of concern.
Kerry nodded once, she gripped the handle of her rolling suitcase and pulled. “I left him.” Her voice shook. “I thought he was going to kill me.” She made a whimpering noise. It was all bubbling to the surface. All the hurt, the anger, mostly the fear.
“Sit.” Vicky gestured to the sofa. “I’m going to get you some Kleenex.” She went and fetched the box from the bathroom, placing it in front of Kerry.
“Thank you,” she said, taking a tissue and wiping it around her good eye. Then she tried to blow her nose. Ouch! It hurt to move her face too much. She dabbed the tissue instead.
Vicky had a look of horror on her face. Shame welled up inside her. Kerry had slept with this woman’s husband. Jeff had finally been man enough to admit it. He’d only confessed when she told him she was leaving. “I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have come.” She went to stand.
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