I know what I am now. I have a name.
I am a Shifter.
I lay on my back, eyes closed as I waited for rest to find me. After I broke down into a million pieces in front of Will he suggested that a nap would do me good. I agreed, but apparently my body was against it.
My mind was too busy racing, replaying every word that Will had spoken, every terrible moment that I had faced since my 18th birthday. Back then, I thought all my problems were going to end the day I was considered a woman. I saved up, hoping for a better ending, only to discover that my life was meant to be hell. There was no better for me.
I rolled over onto my side, my eyes flinging open, upset with the fact that my mind was on fire with so many thoughts. The room is dark now. As I st
SINCERE POV I tucked my hands underneath my armpits, my fingertips feeling cold. I was surrounded by nothing but tall trees and darkness. Beneath my feet are forgotten leaves and branches, every step making a crunch. The paved road I had decided to follow ended abruptly, and there were just these woods. It didn’t make any sense. I could hear the humming of engines and tires hitting the gravel, but it was like no matter what direction I took, the sound was getting farther away. I was lost. I could smell rain in the air and knew a storm was coming. My first thought about leaving the compound was right. I’d get turned around out here by myself. And Will was right. I really ha
I pull the thick pink blanket down from over my head, dreading the idea of a new day. I just wanted to stay in bed and hide away from whatever awaited me outside the door. I could hear the house buzzing, people talking amongst themselves. Everyone was awake, and it sounded as if they were waiting for me. As if she knew that I had opened my eyes, Lana came waltzing in the room, wearing yet another long frilly dress, this time a dark green.Her hair was flat and free, a change from the pinned side look she had yesterday. Her skin looks paler than before and I couldn’t help but think she needed to ease up on the makeup. What did she look like underneath all the foundation, concealer and whatever else she was wearing. I stretched, just before allowing her to grab me by my arms pulling me out of bed. I noticed the black gloves that protected her hands. She stood me up straight, showing her teeth once again. If she was upset with how I handled things y
The first woman shifter. Man wasn’t that something… The way Will’s eyes locked in on my face when he said those words… It made me want to shudder. I was learning so much about myself, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know anymore. We made our way back to the main wing where Lana awaited us. There were a few people roaming around, looking as if they had house chores. Some were watering the tall plants found in the corners of rooms. Others, looked to be passing by but walking so fast as if they were short on time. And though they had their own tasks, the moment we stepped in, they stopped everything to bow.Will pushed open this very large swinging door. I didn’t know it was going to come back at me, but I was quick to catch it, my palms hitting the surface. “Why do they keep doing that?” I asked, bothered by the attention I was receiving. “Doing what?” He asked me, as we made our way through a large kitchen. My eyes quickly scanned the room, taking in the rustic look, opened floor pl
I crossed my legs, one over the other, my upper body leaning forward as I stared at Will. The professionalism that I had seen him show seemed to be out the window now, as he propped his feet up on the futon, his head turned in my direction. His light colored lips parted, but no words came out. He took a deep breath, and I could tell he was nervous. I blinked at him, waiting for the silence to end. “Just ask,” I answered. There were plenty of questions floating around in the air for both of us, but so far, Will was the only one being upfront. “The men you killed,” he started. “I understood that you thought of them as a resource. I understand that you say that they’re bad men…” “We already went over this.” Just that quick I was irritated. Somehow, I even felt shame, though I knew what they were capable of. “Yes, however, there is something else that I never got a chance to ask.” Sincere, be patient. The uncertainty in his face shows that his question was a hard one. “The Blood… the
Take your place, and change it. I requested to be left alone. I had so many thoughts and feelings that needed to be sorted through before I could continue further with Will, before I could meet the people that Lana was so eager to show me off to. Will’s words continue to overshadow everything. Take your place, and change it. The sentence in itself seems so simple. It sounds as if it was something I could do over night, but behind those words I knew hard work awaited me. I felt the same when they said I was of royalty, or a leader. Simple words, but deeper meanings. Elias. That name was sticking in my head as well. The most important person that I’ve ever had in my life, was left behind. Back then, I thought I was doing the right thing. I was in danger and I could guess anyone around me would be caught in the crosshairs. I didn’t want that. That thought is wrong. At the time, I didn’t really understand anything. I waited a lousy twenty four hours before leaving that little town
“If you were a commoner, what are some things you would expect from your leader?” I stared sleepily at Will. My eyelids feel heavy, my shoulders are slumped over, my kinky hair was fighting its way out of the high bun I originally went to sleep in, and I was dressed in generic red and white striped pajamas.I looked like a fucking candy cane. A tired candy cane.When he burst through my bedroom door this morning, I was so out of it, I did whatever he asked of me and I did it half asleep. He said to meet him downstairs, and I did so without a second thought, though my feet did drag.We stood in the center of a perfectly squared room, that had a soft padding used for flooring, and poorly lit with candles somehow embedded into the surrounding walls. It was something straight out of a Harry
WILL’S POVI’ve never admitted to being a smart man.The moment Sincere’s hand gripped me, I questioned if I had gone about this the right way. She stares at me, her brows furrowed and her eyes deep in darkness. They weren’t all black like before, but there was a certain level of intimidation spewing from them.“You want a fight, you got one.” Her words are pushed up against gritted teeth. She sounded angry, angrier than I thought she would be. Before I could think of my next move, or something else to say, I felt a tug on my arm, followed by wind in my face, my stomach feeling like it would fall through the bottom half of my body, and then instant back pain.“
WILLS POV I lay back on the examination table, allowing Lana to cut down the torn up shirt, revealing the skin that was underneath, so she could get to my wounds. I didn’t want this little incident to force Sincere back into her cage and discourage her from any further training with me, so I was pretty quick to ask her to leave the room. She did so without hesitation. The wide eyed expression on her face told me that she was surprised by her actions, as well as very apologetic. “I can’t believe you allowed her to hurt you like this,” Lana cursed under her breath, slowly shaking her head, as she dabbed the surrounding skin with water, trying to isolate each scratch. “Don’t worry,” I started, wincing at the pain. “It looks worse than it is.” This much was true. At first the pain came as a shock, feeling like multiple knives sliding into my flesh at the same time. When the blood first started trickling out, there was an alarm because it was more than I expected, and the stinging was u