Page 69 of Outcast
Charred pieces of its flesh began to float through the air as if coming unglued from its body. My face burned with unshed tears at the sight of pieces of fur sprouting as the melted tar burned away.
How?
This is the work of a powerful being.
In a matter of minutes, all of the melted skin had burned off, leaving a wolf with patches of grey fur on its emaciated body and empty sockets where the flames had previously burned for eyes.
They were normal shifters?
The body convulsed, and I used all my strength to push it off me, rolling to the side and clambering to my feet quickly in case of any further attacks. As I faced it once more, I released the hold over my power and fell back to the ground onto my knees as I stared at the body before me.
Its human form.
The Daimona’s distended rib cage drew in a final breath as it whispered, "Thank you", before it stilled, its spirit passing into the next life.
The booming voice of the alpha called out, striking fear into me, "Ahh, so you've discovered that a Daimona is simply a turned shifter."
Chapter Thirty
Kira
As I scurried backwardsto put my back against the nearest wall, the alpha prowled towards me, and my breath hitched in fear, my heart racing from these revelations. I had been right. Hewasa part of this.
Had he willingly sacrificed Maya? Had she been killed, or had she been turned?
Just the thought of Maya's beautiful wolf warped into one of those creatures made my stomach roll in disgust.
My mind was reeling with all the thoughts swirling around about what the alpha had been involved with and how deep his betrayal ran.
"I see you're frantically trying to piece this together," he surmised nonchalantly while nudging the now dead shifter a few feet in front of me with his foot.
While I had no emotional connection to the alpha, and I felt no loyalty to him, his betrayal would rock the packandthe council to their core. He was a highly respected member of the pack communities and next in line for a seat on the council.
I had to get out of here. I had to tell someone. I couldn't die here with these secrets.
Calm yourself. No good can come from rash decisions.
Lux was right. I needed to get out of here and warn everyone, but I also needed to consider my options and think through my actions first. My eyes darted to the exit, and I tried to judge how quickly I could get there before he caught up to me.
Fighting him was an option, but we didn't know if he had any hidden powers, and I wasn't willing to go into this fight blind and without backup. I wasn't an idiot and didn't think myself invincible just because I had powers. I didn't even know the extent of those fledgling powers yet.
He faced me, crouching down until the dead shifter was a seat for his ass and eliciting a gag from me with his disrespect for a lost life. "You have two options, Kira. Either you help us secure our victory willingly, or you help us secure our victory as a slave."
His words bounced off of me, my mind still stuck on my earlier thoughts. My eyes narrowed to slits as my fire built within me. "How could you do that to Maya? To Jameson? To your pack?"
His soul is corrupted to the core. He is a disgrace to all shifters.
His shoulders shrugged minutely as he clasped his hands in front of him, "There are always casualties in war. That's why I chose to be on the winning side of this battle, and you should as well."
If I denied him right now and spouted off about how I really felt about him, he'd probably kill me. I needed to keep him talking until my mates came back. I knew they wouldn't have left me down here without good reason, and from the sound of the faint screams and snarls, there was a war raging above.
Taking a few shaky breaths, I composed my face to one of indifference as I inquired, "How about you answer a few questions for me so that I can make an informed decision? As you said, there are casualties in war, but I need to make sure your side is indeed the winning one because I don't want to die."
He barked out a laugh before spreading his hands out, "It sounds like the Daimona are doing well in their attack, so sure, I can spare you a few moments."
I need to be up there with our mates.
You would only distract them from battle.
