Genesis: (Book One of the True Luna Series)

by Texie D. Freeman

  In her room now, June switched the light on and shut the door. Something about the space was off, making the air unbalanced and dirty. The sensation clung to her skin like a parasite as she approached her bed. Dale had not only fixed her sheets but had also laid out a simple black dress with a white collar on top of the duvet.

  It took June a second to remember where she had seen it before. When it snapped, she tentatively reached a hand towards it, brushing her fingers against the soft velvet material as an image of her mother surfaced.

  Back in her parent’s era, hunting wasn’t a gender-neutral profession. Women were sent out on less job and even when they managed to get work, the entirely male council made sure to remind them of their social standing. The modest dresses were an enforced uniform that were knee length but almost impossible to fight in.

  Claire had only had to wear the dress a month before the council changed the law. For something much older than June, it was well preserved. She wondered why Dale had kept it but then realized that that was a stupid question. Everything that reminded him of Claire may was an extension of her.

  And today, June would make herself believe that, too.

  Bending over, she unlaced her boots and kicked off her jeans. She pulled off her shirt next and replaced it with the dress. Once her boots were tied again, she pulled her hair free of its ponytail. Maybe it was to stall or show the council that they couldn’t knock her all the way down that had June sit at her vanity. She sharpened her eyes with mascara and eyeliner and then coated her lips in bright red lipstick. She stared into the mirror until the woman looking back felt like a force to be reckoned with and headed downstairs.

  In the living room, her father, Lenore and Alister were in the middle of a heated discussion. When they heard her boots squeak against the hardwood, they went silent. Three pairs of wide eyes landed on her and June looked to Dale, confused about their shared reaction. “Dad?”

  Dale’s voice was barely above a whisper, “I always saw Claire in you, June, but God, in that dress you’re her doppelganger. She was wearing it when we met on our first hunt.”

  “Thanks for giving it to me,” June told him. She stepped towards her dad but stopped when he held up a hand.

  “You’re still missing something important,” Dale said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red velvet pouch held shut by a thin golden string. He undid the tie and held it out to June.

  She reached inside, touching something thin and cold. June already knew what it was as she pulled it out. In Claire’s picture, her mom wore a necklace, one June had never able to find. She had assumed that it was buried with Claire but here it was, dangling on the tip of June’s finger.

  The sunrays that shined through the windows made the silver chain glimmer and the opal nestled inside a tear drop pendant shine like a miniature rainbow. On either side of the stone were two charms, the letters ‘C’ and ‘D’.

  “Dad,” June swallowed, meeting her father’s eyes. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

  “I gave this to Claire on our wedding day. One of her last wishes was that I give it to you when the time was right. She loved you more than anything, June, and would want you to face today with your head held high.”

  Moving her hair to the side, June undid the clasp and settled the chain around her neck. When it was in place, she rubbed her thumb over the stone, feeling at ease.

  Unfortunately, the moment was over before it could really begin as the sound of the doorbell ringing echoed throughout the house. June’s heart jumped. Her feet were rooted to the ground as she and Dale stared at each other. Behind him, Lenore started to cry and Alister looked like he was on the verge of copying her. Her uncle shook his head and without a word, pulled Lenore out of the living room and through the kitchen doorway.

  The doorbell rang again, making Dale go still. “You can’t avoid it any longer, June. If you want to be a real hunter, this is how it’s done.”

  She knew her father was right but that didn’t make walking over to the door easy. Her legs weighed a ton as she crossed the room. With her hand on the doorknob, she looked over her shoulder. “You’ll be there, right?”

  Dale nodded and his expression was grim. “For you.”

  With his promise resonating in her head, June opened the door. On the other side, two stoic faced guards stood in the fall heat. Past them, parked alongside the curb, was a military grade black SUV. No one spoke as she stepped out of the house and started down the sidewalk.

  The guard standing at the rear of the SUV opened the back door for her. Taking the hint, June climbed in as gracefully as she could. Despite the sweat rolling down her back, a wave of cold wash over her as the three guards followed. One climbed in the passenger seat and the other two ended up on either side of her in the backseat.

  The tense silence was broken by a familiar, lilted voice, “Everyone ready? All seatbelts buckled?”

  “Eddy?” she balked and leaning forward in her seat to get a better look at the traitor. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Swiveling around in his seat to face her, Eddy pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his long nose with a misplaced grin. “I chauffeur on weekends. Kids, councilmembers, guards…flight risks.”

  “And just when I thought this day couldn’t get worse,” June muttered.

  “That’s rude, but fair, given the circumstances,” Eddy responded. “I do hope we can get past this one day and be friends.”

  “Oh, sure, and then we can have sleepovers and talk about boys!” she exclaimed with fake enthusiasm.

  “Right,” he winced and turned back around. A second later, the SUV was pulling out of its idle spot. In the review mirror, Eddy met her eyes. “If it means anything, I only wish you the best.”

  June’s response involved her middle finger before she angled herself towards the window. Outside, people crowded the sidewalks with smiles on their faces. Between two adults, a kid no older than four skipped merrily as they headed in the direction of city hall. June quickly turned away when the kid let go of her mom’s hand to point at the SUV.

  Ducking her head, she could feel them watching her through the lightly tinted windows. A five-minute drive turned into ten because of the heavy foot traffic. When the SUV finally stopped, she exhaled the air held captive in her lungs but then her stomach cramped.

  The parking lot of city hall was full of cars. Settled in front of an impromptu stage roped off by red tape was a crowd of hundreds. She recognized, the faces of Dani’s supposed friends and felt ill. Many of them that had attended her surprise birthday party three months ago now thirsted for her death.

  June was broken from her reverie as the guard on her left opened the door. She slid down the row of seats and out of the SUV. Ready to be free of the escort, she stepped forward but stopped when she noted that Eddy was still behind the wheel, his window rolled down. She couldn’t help her curiosity and faced him with an arched brow. “You’re not coming?”

  Eddy took his sunglasses off and hung them on the collar of his shirt. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “I’ve seen enough gore to last me a lifetime. Besides, I’m not off the clock yet.”

  June frowned at the statement, wondering who else he had to drive around when pretty much everyone in the community was here. But as curious as she was, she was over making small talk. She waved Eddy off and turned on her heel to join the masses.

  It was either fate or bad luck that she quickly ran into Bran and Jace. Stuck in her own head, she didn’t notice either of them until they blocked her path. Her escorts weren’t far behind and it was apparent they were sticking with their silent act as they let the two men corner her and didn’t intervene. Huffing sharply, June grunted, “Well? What do you want?”

  “I just wanted to give you some quick advice,” Bran spoke nonchalantly, his voice fake pleasant for the witnesses all around them. One of his hands landed on her shoulder, squeezing harder with each word. “Don’t fuck this up. You know, for our family.�
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  “I think you mean for the sake of yourself,” June seethed. She winced under his grip and failed to shake him off. She gave Jace a pointed stare. “Call off your dog before he dislocates my shoulder.”

  Jace’s eyes moved between the two siblings. His face was expressionless as he grabbed Bran by his shirt and jerked him back. Her brother’s glare moved from her to Jace but quickly melted under the other man’s gaze.

  Not ready to try and decipher why her brother was softly staring at his best friend, she nodded at Jace. “Thanks.”

  Her ex opened his mouth, and for a second, she was scared he was going to mention how she hadn’t responded to his ten text messages last night. But then something passed over his face and he shrugged. “No problem.”

  June rolled her shoulder as it began to throb. Attempting to not look at either of them, her eyes went to the sky. Streaks of purple and orange mingled. It would’ve been a pretty sight any other day. Instead, her throat threatened to close. Through the corner of her eye, she saw her escorts approach and she knew her time was up. She looked back down to Jace. “I have to go.”

  “I know.”

  June swallowed. “Find me afterwards?”

  Her guards had arrived. Even when one grabbed her by the elbow and started pulling her away, her eyes stayed on Jace’s. Ten feet, twenty, then thirty feet separated them and finally, he nodded.

  June didn’t break eye contact until she was being ushered past the tap. The guard dropped her elbow the second she was planted in front of the steps leading up to the stage.

  Automatically, her hand went to her mother’s necklace and she rubbed the smooth surface of the opal with her thumb. Behind her, the crowd had gone silent, waiting. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, June slowly ascended the steps, unaware that everything she knew was about to change.

  /CHAPTER NINE/

  On the platform, she was greeted by the council with Rachel front and center. Today, her faded blonde hair was pulled back into a bun and she wore a white pant suit. Everything about her screamed business. June crossed the stage, her head low as the eyes of the crowd moved with her.

  Rachel’s voice rang out as she addressed the audience, “Today, everyone here shall bare witness as we expunge another hybrid from this world. We hold our humanity tight with clenched fists, vowing to never waver and to always protect our own from the vile creatures that dare walk among us.”

  Cheers of triumph made the stage vibrate as the crowd roared. June searched through the sea, catching sight of Dale in the back beside Bran and Jace. Out of the three of them, only Bran was crying out in rapture with a fist in the air. When he noticed her looking at him, he smirked and nudged Jace with his shoulder. She looked away as soon he caught her staring.

  The cheering was cut off by rhythmic drumming. Rachel lifted a withered finger towards the double doors of city hall as they began to part. “There.”

  June’s heart clenched as a group of guards carrying riffles poured out of the building. Her eyes automatically snapped to the dark wooden box one of the guards held to their chest. Every hunter that had had their life ended by the same gun. It fired pure silver bullets coated in wolfsbane, a deadly concoction for all living beings. A regular bullet could damage a hybrid, but it wouldn’t keep them down.

  From the corner of her eye, June saw Rachel smirk as the group started their procession from city hall to the stage. A string of crude words filled the air as Dani brought out and shoved in front. The guards didn’t react when the closest of the spectators shoved Dani or when a man punched her in the arm. The crowd stayed as close to her as they could in hopes of landing a hit.

  Before a total riot could break out, Dani was being forced on stage by the same guard that carried the box. June assessed her cousin, noting that she looked outright… animalistic. Dani’s bandage was gone, showing the bite on her arm. Two sharp canines hung over her bottom lip. However, what stood out the most were her eyes. They were two endless voids of amber speckled with gold, alluring and unnatural.

  Dani’s lips pulled into a thin grin when she caught June’s gaze. She was dragged to the middle of the platform with two guards flanking her on either side and three more behind her. Despite the circumstances, she held her shoulders back, keeping her chin in the air as the box was handed off to Rachel.

  June’s brows furrowed. Before she could theorize what Dani’s ploy was, the councilwoman was passed the wooden box. She gestured for June, who was frozen in place, to come closer. When she didn’t move, Rachel scowled and grabbed her by the arm. Her long nails dug into June’s skin and she was yanked forward.

  “My fellow family and friends, for twenty-six years we watched Dani Lilah Gilley grow. We gave her love, an education, and a future, but in the end, it was not enough. Under our noses, Dani sought out the bite. She chose to tarnish her DNA and reject her legacy. It is with sorrow that I publicly deem her a traitor. On this day, she shall be executed. To rid us of her sins is Dani’s own flesh and blood, the daughter of councilman Gilley. Please give June your support as she takes a stand, not for herself or her family, but for us, her community,” the councilwoman’s voice carried across the lawn of city hall through mini microphone pinned to her jacket lapel.

  June felt detached from her body as Rachel held the box out towards her, making a grand gesture of opening the lid and showing the crowd the varnished gun that rested on red velvet cushion. It was a weapon of theatrics, crafted from varnished copper with a dark, polished wood for a handle.

  And while it was gorgeous, all June could think about was that this was the gun that had killed her mother. After today, it will have claimed two of her family members.

  Rachel sharp voice broke through her reverie, “Take the gun.”

  June turned to Dani again. Her cousin stood tall and sported a calm demeanor. There was no fear marring her features. Low and slow, like she wasn’t at the precipice of death, Dani promised, “It’s going to be okay.”

  She wasn’t sure who the words were meant to reassure.

  Rachel clapped a hand over her microphone to mute herself. Her voice was ragged as she vowed, “Kill the hybrid or I’ll ensure that your father doesn’t survive a single night in the Gray Zone.”

  Sparred into action, June’s entire being shook as her hands brushed against the gun. Gently, she lifted it out of the box. The weapon weighed a thousand pounds as she adjusted her grip, keeping a finger over the trigger with her left hand supporting the base of the handle.

  The next few seconds stretched out into an entire lifetime.

  Dani’s knees were kicked from behind her, and she fell forward. Her cousin let out a low growl, making the guards around her take several steps back.

  Rachel berated them with a scowl which she promptly shot at June. “Well, Miss Gilley? Are you worth all of the trouble you’ve caused, or I should ship you off to the Gray Zone now?”

  June grimaced at the threat. She knew what happened to women there. They were reprimanded and often forced to work in what could only be described as a brothel. From the look in Rachel’s eyes, she practically dared her to disobey.

  She shook her head although the question didn’t require an answer.

  The lump in her throat grew to a small mass as she leveled the gun to point at Dani’s chest. Her options were either shooting her cousin in the heart or the head. June hoped this was the more humane option.

  “That’s it,” Rachel crooned.

  As the crowd’s murmurs and her own breathing became white noise, June forced herself to keep her eyes on Dani’s. There was no emotion in her cousin face as June’s finger hovered over the trigger. The was finality in the air as her skin touched the cool metal.

  “No.”

  June didn’t even realize she had spoken until she was lowered the gun. Her finger stayed over the trigger, ready to use it in case the guards or Rachel tried to do what she couldn’t.

  “What the fuck are you—” the councilwoman began.

  “Do you re
member what I told you when we were training? How shifters will use anything, even emotional manipulation to win a fight?” Dani asked calmy, cutting Rachel off.

  June nodded, staring into Dani’s eyes, two depths of amber that pulled her in.

  Dani smiled dauntingly around her canines. “That’s not all we can do, cousin. After the change, we can mind link with our mate. You would be surprised with how well the reception works even when your miles away, buried under wolfsbane.”

  The gun was deadweight and without meaning to, June dropped at the same time the screaming started. Her head whipped towards the crowd. The crowd was broken up as several large beings, male shifters, shoved people aside in pursuit of the stage. Past the lawn, several black vans tore through the empty streets.

  Finally catching up, Rachel’s jaw closed and opened like a fish before she managed to say, “Wh-what the hell is going on? Stop this right now!”

  “Sorry, I’m not interested,” Dani said. She twisted her wrist, effectively snapping the thin silver cuffs in half. She stepped towards them the same time Rachel bent over.

  Both women reached for the gun and it was Dani who was victorious. Just as Rachel’s hand made contact with the weapon a clawed hand swiped at her. The councilwoman fell back on her rear, clutching her arm as blood poured from several deep lacerations. Guards rushed to help her up, aiming the barrel of their riffles at Dani.

  She didn’t look the least concerned as she pointed the stolen pistol at Rachel’s head. “I suggest you leave now, councilwoman, before I decide to return your hospitality.”

  The older woman didn’t have to be told twice. In seconds, she was standing and running off the stage with the rest of the council. The guards surrounded them like human shields and fired their guns in the air to keep the crowd away.

  On the lawn, chaos ensued. Some of the older adults were attempting to control the crowd from trampling children and the elderly. Her family was lost in the middle of it. Bran was in the center of the lawn with his back against a tree, Dale was directing people towards the parking lot, and Jace…was staring at her whilst frantically waving.