Genesis: (Book One of the True Luna Series)

by Texie D. Freeman

  The words didn’t settle the anxiety building in June. In fact, it made her chest tighten. It was standard for the council to visit and question those who were bitten. However, the thought of Rachel standing where June was now was abnormal. Someone of her stature didn’t walk through murky water to speak with a hybrid.

  “What did she want?” June questioned, ignoring the eyes on her back. She pushed Eddy’s presence to the back of her mind. He was nothing more than a blip on her radar at this point.

  “The usual,” Dani said casually as she twisted a strand of hair around her finger, watching it tangle. “How I was bitten and why I didn’t turn myself in. The standard self-incriminating bullshit.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  “That I was attacked on a supply run and I didn’t turn myself in because I was scared.”

  June nodded and mulled that over. If the council saw Dani as defenseless maybe they would go easy on her. The traditional way of killing a hybrid was a silver bullet to the head but there was another way. If the bitten was a kid or an elder, the council would terminate with an IV drip. From what she had heard, it was painless.

  “Of course, it doesn’t matter what story I say,” Dani continued, “as soon as I was bitten, I lost all credibility. The council probably knows the real story by now.”

  “The real story?” June asked without meaning to. She looked over her shoulder to Eddy but he was playing on his phone. She prayed he wasn’t listening and leaned in closer to the bars, hissing, “What are you talking about?”

  Dani had been planning to leave and was bitten around the same time. June didn’t like what her brain was screaming as the pieces fell into place. Her cousin’s demise was a coincidence, right?

  The theory died when Dani smiled like a schoolgirl. “I found my soulmate.”

  June gritted her teeth.

  Hybrid’s, for whatever insane reason, believed that they were destined for love with one specific person. If it wasn’t just an excuse to reproduce and control their partners, the idea might have been endearing.

  Hearing Dani speak like one of them, set June on edge as she stared in disbelief. “You’re human.”

  “Was human,” her cousin corrected. “We may have had different DNA at the time, but his soul called to mine. I was on a supply run when I felt it. I thought I was going crazy when I left the grocery store and ended up in a park. Noah was reading a book on a bench and when he looked up, everything fell into place. I knew instantly that he was made for me, June. My purpose in life isn’t to serve the council. It’s to make a life with my mate.”

  “Give me a minute.” June held up her hands as she tried to see things from her cousin’s perspective. She could understand Dani’s need to explore the outside world but was it worth betraying the complex? The hunters weren’t exactly a big happy family, but the community was safe and protected its own.

  “I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong,” Dani commented. “Bitten or not, I was going to leave no matter what the cost. The council can trick everyone else into believing that what they’re doing is right but not me. This place isn’t utopia, it’s hell.”

  “And getting bitten was your way out?” June questioned.

  “Not really. Noah and I got caught up in the heat of passion and it just sort of happened,” Dani disclosed. “He didn’t want me to come back here, but I had to see what I was leaving behind one last time. I never intended to lose control. You just have a way of getting under my skin.”

  June knew she wasn’t exactly a pleasant person to be around, but the comment stung coming from Dani. No matter what her cousin did, whether it was sneaking out or getting them in trouble, June idolized her. When her dad was gone, and Bran was being a bully, it was Dani who stuck up for her.

  It was Dani who had once promised they would take the hybrids on together. Now, June wasn’t sure who she was supposed to turn to. Even though she had Jace, June couldn’t talk to him in the same way she could her cousin.

  Something must have showed on her face because Dani sighed, “You’ll be okay without me.”

  June’s words were bitter like her feelings as she snapped, “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Of all people, you know how much this is eating me up. If I could go back to that day, I wouldn’t say anything. I would help you—”

  “And then you would be in this cell alongside me,” Dani interjected. Her shoulders sagged and her eyes sparked like two dying stars. “Honestly, I’m kind of glad it’s you. Knowing Bran, he would get off on the thrill of death.”

  “I would rather go to the Gray Zone than kill you,” June argued. She shook her head. “If it wasn’t for my dad…”

  It went without saying that whatever June did or didn’t do, her dad would suffer the consequences. He deserved more than a defective daughter with loyalty issues. So, she was going to do whatever it took to protect her father. June wouldn’t give the council a reason to turn their attention on him, even if it meant doing the unfathomable. All she could do was hope that they would let her end Dani’s life the easy way.

  “Yeah, I know,” Dani breathed. She retreated into the cell and sat down on the cot. “Go home, June. Enjoy your life for the both of us.”

  The air was somber as June blinked away the tears that threatened to escape, croaking, “I’m sorry.”

  June didn’t know what the apology was for. Maybe for speaking out, for her role in Dani’s death, or for putting Dale before her cousin. Either way, she knew the two words wouldn’t repair the damage that had been done. By Friday, Dani would be gone, and June would have to carry the weight of her sins for the rest of her life. She would see her cousin’s amber eyes in every hybrid she faced from here on out.

  Dani smiled sadly. “Aren’t we all?”

  ***

  The thought of having another run in with Bran or dealing with Dale’s hovering kept June from going home. She took the long way around the complex to avoid prying eyes and eventually pulled into Jace’s apartment complex. Parking in the back, she had to drag herself out of the car and up the stairs. At the Jace’s door, June pulled off her wet sneakers and tossed them aside before unlocking the door.

  Unlike home, the silence here was peaceful. It didn’t carry the weight of silent grief and hopeless longing. It was just simple quite that June reveled in as she trudged through the empty living room. For once, she was glad Jace was on patrol. It would give her a few hours to wallow in pity.

  Of course, there was no telling if June would see her boyfriend or her father first. Dale would know where she was in a few hours when he realized she wasn’t at home. It was commonplace for her dad to hunt her down. If she was lucky, he would keep his distance for a day or two while she prepared for Friday.

  She shook off the thought as she stepped into the bedroom, switching on the lights. Avoiding the dresser mirror, June stripped off her wolfsbane covered clothes and kicked them into the corner. She changed into a pair of Jace’s boxers and one of his shirts before going back into the living room. She made herself comfortable on the couch and turned on the television. The mindless sitcom distracted her mind long enough for the exhaustion to seep in.

  It felt like only a second had passed when June heard the front door being unlocked. She didn’t bother opening her eyes until the couch dipped and a hand stroked her cheek. Sucking in a breath, she blinked and met Jace’s gaze. His smile was warm and eyes gentle, but she could see the worry behind his façade.

  “Sorry for popping in,” June told him as she sat up, wondering how many times she was going to apologize today. “I visited Dani today.”

  Jace put an arm over her shoulder. His chest rumbled underneath her head as he asked, “How is she?”

  “That’s the thing, I don’t know,” June told him truthfully. “She wasn’t sad or happy or angry. It was like talking to a wall. Did your dad act that way?”

  “No,” Jace disclosed, his body suddenly fraught. “He mainly cried and said he loved me and that he w
as sorry for not being more careful.”

  June looked away. She knew why Dani was acting differently. Unlike Jace’s father, her cousin had sought the bite, wanted it. Her inability to factor in getting caught was her only regret.

  She didn’t realize Jace was still talking until he shook her shoulder. “June? What is it?”

  “Dani…she met someone.”

  “From the complex? Or outside?”

  June dragged her eyes up to meet his. “He’s not human.”

  If the conversation wasn’t so serious, watching Jace put two and two together would’ve been comical. An array of emotions passed his face as his brows pulled together in confusion before settling on something akin to hesitation before he asked, “A hybrid?”

  “She’s convinced he’s her soulmate,” June disclosed, the concept still totally unbelievable. “He’s ruined her life and she doesn’t even care that she’s going to die.”

  “Power is strange like that,” Jace commented, “it makes us do that which we once deemed sinful or taboo.”

  June shifted to look at the wall as her mind started to spin. She didn’t think power was what Dani was after. No, it was acceptance her cousin sought, and, after Friday, she would never have to look for it ever again.

  /CHAPTER SIX/

  The next two days were spent hiding out in Jace’s apartment. Somewhere along the way, June misplaced her phone and lost the will to find it. Dale no doubt knew where she was at this point so checking in didn’t matter. In fact, to June’s surprise, he waited a whole forty-three hours before coming to get her.

  Reclining on the couch, her attention was on the teen drama playing on the television. Just as one of the main characters had admitted to offing their brother, the front door shook as someone started to knock without relent. For a second, June debated on ignoring it but then she heard Dale calling her name through the thin door.

  Switching off the show, June rolled off the couch with a grimace. She took her time crossing the small room and unlatched the locks even slower. She jumped back as the door hit the wall as her dad opened it from the outside.

  “Hi, Dad.” June scowled as Dale’s eyes ran down her form with a frown on his face. For the past day and half, she had been sporting one of Jace’s old band shirts and his boxers.

  Without asking, Dale forced his way past her, not bothering to shut the door. He eyed the messy living room with disdain before turning his attention back to his daughter. “Go get ready. We’ve been called to city hall for a meeting with the council.”

  June’s stomach dropped. “Why?”

  The council only summoned people when the situation was dire. Considering that Dani’s execution was tomorrow, this wasn’t a coincidence.

  Dale’s brows furrowed as he let out a hearty exhale, “Someone went to the council with new information. They believe Dani has committed treason.”

  “What did she do?”

  Taking his silence as an answer, one he wouldn’t air, she left him be. Behind the closed door of Jace’s room, June changed into the clothes she had arrived in. In the bathroom, she battled with her hair, cursing the unruly, dirty blonde strands into a simple ponytail. Giving up, June let her arms fall, her hands gripping the edge of the sink.

  The person looking back at her in the mirror shined with disdain. June saw nothing but someone on the edge of collapse with slumped shoulders. However, beneath the confused emotions swirling around her without reprieve, she found her mother.

  June had stared at the photo of Claire long enough to notice the little things. Like how her and her mom had matching dimples and oval shaped face. Their lips were the same shade of off pink and their hair was nearly the same shade. What remained was from Dale, thin lips, a narrow nose, and…hollow eyes.

  Exhaling, she forced herself to walk away.

  In Jace’s room, she took one last look around. Something about her dad showing up and the meeting told June that she wouldn’t be coming back here for a while. Her eyes rolled over the dirty clothes on the floor and the unmade bed to focus on the faded movie posters taped to the white walls.

  June had given them all to Jace throughout the decade. It used to be a summer tradition for her, Jace, and Bran to camp out in the living room on weekends. Half of the time was spent fighting over what to watch but the other half was something akin to bliss. It was only on those days that her brother hated her a little less.

  Because the marathons had started as Jace’s idea, June took it upon herself to thank him when she could. He still acted surprised when she gave him a new poster for his birthday and Christmas.

  Dale was still standing in the middle of the living room when June came back. His eyes ran over her, and his lips pressed into a thin line. “A little too causal but it’ll have to do. There’s no time to stop at the house.”

  “Thanks,” June grumbled, rolling her eyes. She followed Dale out of the apartment, pausing just long enough to lock the front door.

  Downstairs in the parking lot, June started for her car but didn’t make it far from Dale’s side. She was stopped when his hand grabbed her elbow. She met his narrowed eyes, knowing her evening was about to get better. “What now?”

  “I need your keys,” he claimed.

  Exasperated, she crossed her arms over her chest and arched a brow. “Are you serious? I’m twenty-three. You can’t ground me—”

  “I have to look out for the both of us because you won’t. Your choices make you a liability to yourself and everyone around you, June. Instead of facing your problems, you run and hide. Failing to understand why this puts all of us in danger makes you untrustworthy,” Dale disclosed and then held out his hand. “Keys. Now.”

  Reluctantly, June passed them over and stared into her dad’s hardened eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry just…get in the car.”

  Silently, June pulled open the passenger door and slipped inside. She turned away from Dale as he got in and started the car. She refused to speak or look at him as they drove down the dark streets of the complex. At this hour, mostly everyone was inside.

  In front of small house, June watched through the window as a man cradled a small child to his hip. She thought of them for the rest of the drive, wondering if they were doomed like her and Dale. It seemed the older she got, the more he wanted to control her. June couldn’t remember the last time they had had a civil conversation without it ending in a fight.

  While she knew that he loved her, sometimes June wished for a different, uncomplicated life. She would do just about anything to be free of Dale’s overbearing tendencies, Bran’s hate, and Dani’s demise. She wouldn’t even care if it meant giving up everything. Anything would be better than this.

  The thought was still circling June’s mind when they reached their destination. In the center of the complex, on display day and night with bright lights shining on the front, was city hall. The building was made of brick, two stories high, and topped with a dome roof. All community events were held in the law in front of the building from town meetings and…public executions. If a bitten hunter was proven to have committed treason, then they were put to death in front of a crowd.

  June felt sick as she got out of the car and followed her dad up to the double doors. The guards posted along the front barely looked at them as they opened the entrance. Stepping inside, she shivered and moved closer to Dale as a guard led them down a pristine white hall lined with portraits of famous hunters.

  Like Asylum, city hall was all a monument of the complex’s history and a place of strict operation. It contained the offices for public services such as water maintenance, pest control, sanitation, and the electricity department. The council chambers were reserved for the second floor. No one had access to the elevator other than the guards and authorized guests.

  June and Dale were ushered into the metal box alone. She pressed herself against the wall. When the doors shut and the elevator began to rise, he broke the silence. “Are you ready?”

>   “Yes.”

  “No, June, I mean are you prepared for tomorrow?” Dale reiterated. “Whether it’s at Asylum or public, will you be ready?”

  That was the golden question that had been plaguing her mind since Jace talked to her in the hospital. How could one ever be prepared to kill another person? Dani had said it herself. Hybrid’s had souls, that made them people too, right?

  The thought was so abnormal that she shuddered and pushed it away. Dani wasn’t a person anymore and it was past time for June to realize that. If she started to think about hybrids as people, lines would start to blur.

  “Were you?” she retorted defensively, staring at her dad for confirmation only to recoil when he winced. “Sorry. It’s none of my business.”

  Dale looked away but he couldn’t hide the wet sheen clouding his eyes. He was always so stoic that June hardly ever expected her dad to be sad. When he did though, it broke her heart.

  When June was seven, Jace and Bran dared her to climb the oak in front of their house. Once she got to the top, the two had bolted inside to play video games. Someone passing by on the sidewalk had witnessed her fall.

  June woke up in the ICU a few days later with a fractured spine. The first thing she saw was Dale bent over her bed, not just crying but wailing. The injury was so bad that the doctors hadn’t expected her to live.

  The only other time that Dale looked as haunted was anytime Claire was mentioned. June had learned early on in life that the best way to avoid making him sad was to not mention her mother at all. It’s like he couldn’t stand to remember Claire because he couldn’t let her go.

  In the low light of the elevator, Dale looked younger. The shadows concealed the permanent bags under his eyes and the crease set between his brows. Yet it couldn’t eradicate the heaviness bound his next words. “Saying goodbye to your mom was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. She was the light of my life and is also the dark spot that stains my soul. Taking another person’s life kills you from the inside out. I wouldn’t wish this burden on anyone, especially you, June.”