† Sage †

“You’re going to have to explain that to me again, and preferably a little slower this time.” I kept my voice steady even though my heart was beating so hard against my ribs that my lungs were constricting to give it more space. Honestly, it was a miracle I hadn’t crashed while she’d been spilling her guts at hypersonic speed.

“It was always here. Or maybe it was here.” Coral pointed at her head and her chest. “There was always something pulling at me like, I don’t know, a hunger.”

“Hungry is in your stomach though.” I nodded with eyes still wide as I focused on the road.

She’d been lying to me. For all these years she’d known my secrets and she never trusted me with hers.

“Maybe not hunger then.” Coral whined in frustration as she tucked her hair behind her ears with enough force to pull them off. “Like an unscratched itch or deeper than that. A hollow ache in the pit of my soul that was begging to come out of the darkness so it could be filled with

light.”

I looked at her from the corner of my eye. Since when is she so poetic? “I understand that feeling more than you know, but can you explain the hungry part again?”

It was my sister we were talking about so the whole lycanthrope wolf DNA thing didn’t bother me as much as it would if I’d been a normal citizen of Ethica. But these crazy sensations she’d been describing had me a little worried and needing to understand what hungry meant for a supposed mutant who thirsted for blood.

“You don’t feel like eating people, do you?” I asked. Coral stared at me like I was stupid.

See. That was my little sister. The same sister I’d held as a baby when she preferred me over our dad. It was the same little girl who’d slept

in my bed for years after he died, wetting the sheets every night until she was twelve.

I never even told her that. I just changed the blankets, rolling her

side to side, and washed them before snuggling back into bed to get a few hours of sleep before work started in the morning.

Maybe we both had secrets.

“This is why I never told you.” Coral rolled her eyes and fell back against the seat. “You’re looking at me like you’re worried I’m some kind of freak.”

“You are not a freak.” I grabbed her hand before she could snatch it away. “It does bother me that you never told me the truth before. If you did,

I would have come up with a better plan than driving through the toxic wastelands to who knows what and maybe done some more research to understand.”

“And well…” I nudged her with my elbow. “If you were so hungry, I would have made you more to eat.”

She picked at the fraying hole in her jeans and ignored my attempt at a joke. “Dad wanted us to come here.”

And Dad isn’t the superhero you remember. I sighed. It was no use now tainting her memories of him. I squeezed her hand, sending warmth into the touch. “He sure did.”

*

The dirt road led us into a real live forest complete with naturally growing trees. Coral and I sat silent in awe, watching a world teeming with life pass us by. Apparently, vegetation was growing again in the toxic wastelands. That had to be a good sign.

I hoped.

I double checked the printed maps to make sure we were going in the right direction as the road grew thick with weeds like it hadn’t been traveled on in a while. The rocks and potholes were everywhere and I was forced to slow down so my little car wouldn’t bottom out.

Adding that to my list of fears. Being stuck out here without a vehicle was a real concern.

My mind raced with possibilities as we began to see signs of regenerative life. I hadn’t expected to find anything at all, and now I was worried about what else might be out there.

In the best-case scenario, it would just be a wild, overgrown area, and we could turn back to Ethica’s borders. I’d call in a favor from Dr. Bradley—a simple threat to inform the authorities he was protecting a mutant girl in exchange for a quick power shutoff felt like a reasonable trade.

I wasn’t above playing dirty when it came to my sister.

In the worst-case scenario, we’d stumble upon a pack of wild, bloodthirsty mutants ready to tear us apart.

Maybe my thoughts were a bit extreme, but in less than twenty-four hours, everything I thought I knew had unraveled. I wasn’t sure who or what to believe anymore—my father? An online search? My intuition, which was frustratingly silent right now?

If things got really bad, I’d throw the car in reverse and get out of there fast.

I’d prefer to keep our limbs intact.

As we turned a bend deeper into the forest, the landscape became uneven, and we climbed a hill. My stomach dropped at the sudden dip when we crested the ridge and began our descent.

I kept my hand hovered above the drive shaft, riding the brakes, and stared at the valley below.

Coral let out a slow whistle. “Wow, Sage. It’s beautiful.”

*

Yep. I’d officially lost it.

Somewhere along the lines of holding myself together with the constant stress for almost twenty-seven years, keeping a kid that wasn’t mine alive for the past twelve of them, and finding out the life altering news that my sister had dog DNA, this was bound to happen.

I had hoped I’d have more time.

Blinking through the haze of what I assumed was a manic dream, I slowed the vehicle to a crawl and reached for my oils. Coral found them

first and popped off the stopper, taking a deep breath of the lavender tincture before passing the tube my way.

The main street–I’d guess you’d call it that since there was only one–was a cobblestone road lined with quaint wood structures supporting clay tile roofs like something out of the ancient history textbooks. The buildings, especially the bigger ones with the stone columns supporting arched porches, were of an artisan craftsmanship that didn’t exist in our time.

If it wasn’t for the boarded windows on most of the structures, I could see this town as a bustling tourist destination that the citizens of Ethica would pay top dollar to visit.

Especially because there were a few human looking people with no obvious mutations or deformities heading to an open-air type market with run down stalls like they lived and shopped here every day.

In the toxic wastelands.

In a place that shouldn’t exist.

Because our entire world is a lie.

This was…This…

My brain was starting to glitch.

“They have a civilization,” Coral whispered as we drove by a burly looking man who folded his arms over his chest and eyed us with a look of distrust.

“No shit,” I whispered back, like someone would be able to hear us talk in the car.

It wasn’t grand by any means, not compared to Ethica’s standards, but this was a real village in the middle of nowhere.

At the end of the so-called Main Street, there was the only two-story building with multiple windows and slanted clay tile roof. The sign outside read in plain English:

Cerberus Inn

“Inn is like a hotel,” Coral broke through my racing thoughts as she worked with her own. “Maybe we should stop there.”

“Maybe,” I whispered, still too stunned to speak out loud.

I kept my eye on the mutants–er–people that glanced our way as they continued toward the market. There weren’t many of them. Six so far

if we counted the burly man who’d disappeared down a dark alleyway.

They were all large and muscular, even the two women that glared at us for longer than necessary, speaking to each other before ducking back behind a stall. I wasn’t sure how far my chef knives would get me in a fight with these strangers and really didn’t want to find out.

An elderly woman with a basket of flowers in the crook of her arm stepped a foot onto the road and I slammed on the brakes, realizing how close the car was to the curb.

“What’s wrong with you, Sage?” Coral growled as she slapped her hands against the dashboard to stop her head from hitting the windshield.

Has she always growled? I looked to my sister, wondering if this was another symptom I’d missed as I thrust my finger at the window. “Did you want me to hit the little old lady?”

It was strange seeing a woman so wrinkled walking out in broad daylight when we had the technology to extend her skin elasticity and bone density until she decided to end her mortality.

Had the technology. I sucked in a shaky breath. We definitely weren’t in Ethica anymore.

Tears welled in my eyes as I watched the woman struggle to adjust the weight of the basket on her arm and I shifted the car into park, ready to jump out to assist her with the burden.

She put her middle finger in the air, mumbling something toward us as she continued to hobble across the street.

“We should go.” I put the transmission in reverse and looked over my shoulder for a place to turn around. The people of this town didn’t seem that friendly and probably didn’t want us here.

“I don’t want to.” Coral laughed, turning to me with a wide smile. “I want to get to know them and see if this was where my mother came from.”

*

A bell chimed above us as we entered the inn. A real metal bell, not an electric beep or a robotic greeting. Coral took a deep inhale of the dusty room with the worn wood counter and velvet bench as she shifted from foot to foot in excitement.

Once again, I was reminded that all the quirks I’d loved about her and assumed were normal teenage behaviors might actually be symptoms of a mutation.

No. Screw that.

My sister was fine.

I pulled her behind me as I stepped further into the empty room and called to the back area behind the counter that I assumed was the receptionist’s office. “Is anyone here?”

“I don’t need you to protect me,” Coral whispered in my ear as she tried to pull my fingers from her wrist.

A shadow moved to our right, too quick for my eyes to follow, and I squeezed her arm tighter, forcing her next to the counter so I could put my body in front of her as a man came into the lobby from the narrow set of

stairs I’d failed to see by the door.

He was twice my size and shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of baggy gray sweatpants, and had long black hair swept over his shoulder.

It wasn’t the unnatural glow of his golden eyes that made my heart beat faster.

He licked his tongue over his top canines like he was eager to taste his next meal.

Over teeth that were elongated. Like fangs.

Abort freaking mission. My pulse skyrocketed into overdrive as I stepped backwards, squishing Coral between the counter and my spine.

He moved closer, towering over me. “What do we have here?”

“Um. This is a mistake.” I raised my hands nonthreateningly, wishing the door wasn’t behind him now and that I’d brought in at least one of my knives. “We’re leaving.”

“Sage! Stop it,” Coral hissed in my ear.

But she was young and innocent, not understanding the predator’s gleam in the eyes of the man or mutant or whatever the hell he was.

He sniffed the air. Actually, sniffed the air. Like a dog.

And we’re out of here. I used his momentary scenting distraction to yank my sister by the arm and drag her towards the door.

He moved fast, sidestepping and blocking our escape as I almost collided with his chest.

“Do as she says and stop.” A mischievous smile spread across his lips as a deep growl built in his chest. My eyes drifted down to the outline of his free-swinging package in the sweatpants. It hung within easy access for my foot to connect with in his widened, dominant stance.

I’d use it if I had to.

“Get out of my way,” I tried to growl back, standing taller to shield my sister even as my insides turned to mush. Every part of my rational brain was telling me to run. I needed to find a back exit if my new plan didn’t drop him.

The. Man. Had. Fangs.

How could I think they were lying about mutants? They were the reason Ethica even existed. This was bad. So freaking bad.

Do they all have fangs? Did the old woman in the street have fangs?

Is Coral going to grow fangs too?

He chuckled softly, but the sound seemed to fill the whole room and sent spiders crawling along my skin. “I’d say you’re bold for a pure one, but there is nothing pure about either of you.”

His abnormally bright golden gaze flicked over me in amusement and then lingered on my sister a little too long as he licked his bottom lip.

And… We are done. I shoved my finger into his chest, hating that it was at eye level with me, and glared up at the mutant. Somewhere deep down, I understood the meaning behind his choice of words, but the implication had me seeing red.

“Eyes on me, asshole. You don’t look at her again. Now move out of my way before I show you just how bold I am.” Okay, I was bluffing. But I was scared as shit and no one was going to disrespect my sister like that. “She’s seventeen, pervert. I will rip your face off if you even try to touch her.”

“Sage, please,” Coral whined.

But she could hate me later, in private. Somewhere far away from the fanged mutant man and whatever his intentions were.

He burst into laughter.

My cheeks warmed when I realized he was laughing at me.

“My apologies.” He bowed, crossing his arm over his chest and lowering his massive head. I was forced to take a step back so that it didn’t smack into my skull. “This is a curious situation.”

He winked as he rose to his full height and smiled with his fangs before walking over to the counter. “You say that she’s your sister, but of the two of you, she’s the only one who smells like family.”

Whatever. Our escape route was unblocked and I didn’t plan on sticking around to decipher his hidden meaning as my hand found the door and the bell chimed above us.

Coral wrenched her arm from my grasp.

“That’s because we have different moms.” She marched across the lobby. “My mother was Melinda Cerberus and our father said that if anything happened, we should come here.”

“Interesting.” The mutant man focused his gaze on me. “And what were you expecting to find here?”

It was a simple question, but I was too far gone to care. My brain

was literally trying to bend itself in half as I struggled to process all of this. Not only was there a civilization where life shouldn’t exist, there was a grown man with freaking fangs who seemed like he wanted his steak–and women–rare with a touch of rosemary butter.

I took a few gulps of the fresh, potentially toxic, air and motioned for Coral to follow me outside.

“I was hoping you could tell me.” Her voice was older, sultry even, and she ignored the utter shock on my face.

Is she seriously trying to flirt with him?

I stood dumbstruck, seconds away from slapping my hand over her mouth and dragging her back to the car, but also slightly curious to know where she was planning to take this conversation.

A growl sounded behind me.

Slowly, I turned my head to the side, caught in some sort of dream.

Two massive wolves bigger than anything I’d ever seen in old

nature documentaries came strolling down the sidewalk. One had reddish blond fur and a graceful gait.

The larger one with a dark brown coat and blue eyes so murky they were almost gray took powerful steps, stalking forward with an intensity of a hunter coming in for the kill.

And I instantly knew he was coming for us.

Dark spots danced on my vision as a new sensation tried to command my body. A strange need. A desire so strong I couldn’t contain it. Vibrations that rocked my core. An urge to…

I slammed the door in the wolf’s face with a panicked cry.

The man turned his attention my way with a slow smile. “Is something wrong?”

I kept my back pressed against the door, frantically searching for a second exit.

If more wolves were coming at this mutant’s request, then we’d be surrounded. That’s what predators did. They herded weaker animals.

Are we prey?

My pulse thrummed in my ears and my hands grew warm as the door pressed back against me.

Sharp claws scratched the wood.

Ice water. Focus on the cold. “Coral, we need to go. Now.”

But we were trapped, stuck between the mutant fanged man and the actual wolves at our back.

Something heavy pushed at the door again.

I wasn’t going to be able to protect my sister.

Screw that. I jumped away from the door in a last-ditch effort, grabbing Coral’s arm as I ran. There had to be a window or back exit somewhere. We’d find it and get out of here.

“Sage, calm down,” Coral cried as I pulled her across the lobby. “I’m as calm as I can be,” I hissed. “There are wolves outside trying

to break down the door.”

The bell chimed as a naked man walked in. The world slipped out of focus.

Murky blue-gray eyes locked on mine with an intensity I couldn’t comprehend. There wasn’t even time to appreciate the perfection of his

male nudity before the thrumming in my body increased, blurring the room around us in a prism of color.

“What are you doing, witch?” The fanged man took a cautious step back, shielding himself with the counter.

What did you just call me? I couldn’t even choke out the words.

There wasn’t enough air.

“Sage, breathe.” Coral grabbed my shoulders as the floor started to tilt. “Remember the rules. You have to stay calm. Let’s go get your oils.”

I wanted to tell her the oils weren’t going to help and that the rules didn’t apply out here, but the naked man with the intense gaze continued to stalk forward, robbing me of a coherent reply.

My whole body warmed in response to the newcomer who wouldn’t stop moving closer. The darkness pressed in, threatening to cripple me if I didn’t get it under control somehow.

But I knew it was too late.

I did the only thing I could think of as I stumbled forward and my vision doubled, drawn by some irrational force to this strange man who’d made it past the wolves outside.

I pushed Coral behind me with a shaking arm. “Stop right there.”

The man stopped on the spot as if my command was more than a

pathetic attempt to stay upright. He cocked his head to the side and sniffed.

A low growl vibrated from his lips. Hunger dilated his pupils.

My chest was heaving as I tried to suck in air and break from the spell that his gaze was casting over me. None of this could really be happening.

He reached out a calloused palm and caressed my cheek as if he couldn’t believe I was real.

The single touch sent a shock of electricity blasting through my mind and I cried out in pain from the intensity of need that filled my core.

“Oh, I love a good fated mates story.” The fanged mutant man laughed as he leaned against the counter. “It’s been a while since we had one of those.”

There must have been some significance to his words, because the entire room seemed to still with the statement.

It was only me and this crashing mixture of foreign emotions that was spiraling out of control.

“Coral, run,” I whispered as my knees buckled and the darkness finally won.