He did his best to give me the skills I needed to survive without spending a lifetime in shackles. The scarred warrior was a gnarled old wolf shifter who claimed he just didn’t know when to die. He and three of his best friends joined the Orion for love. Only sheer luck and daring skills allowed them the opportunity to select their mate, the woman they adored with their last breath. Unfortunately, they never had any children.
Since Marion wasn’t able to breed, she was put on a list of undesirables. Any extra advantages given to breeding females were denied her. Without a mate to protect her, she would have been fair game to anyone who wanted her. Gramps and his pack brothers saved her from a fate worse than death.
With Marion and his pack brothers gone, Gramps claimed he was just waiting to die…until he found me.
He made it his mission to keep me safe.
He always said that Marion sent me to him, and I’m not sure he’s wrong.
Anyone else would have instantly turned me over to the lore.
Instead, he saved me.
He trained me harder than any Orion, never granting me any mercy. His goal was to ensure I had the skills to survive in the human world, because when I turn twenty in three weeks, I will be forced to go in for testing, something that is required of all females. If we can breed, we are moved to the capital and trained how to be submissive and to pleasure our partners.
If we are defective, we are sent to the fringes and forced to work. We’re considered fair game, and many women find themselves sold to the highest bidder, usually to a whorehouse. Or, if they are lucky, a group of men will bid on a woman and offer their protection.
The instant I go in for testing, they will discover I’m a kismet.
I will be granted the “privilege” of being the council’s lapdog, because being born a kismet is a criminal offense. Anyone who manifests that designation is to be immediately detained and reported.
I’d only had to survive one more week before I would’ve been free.
Instead, I fucked up, and it cost Gramps his life.
When the Orion came for me, he fought them off and gave me time to flee.
Tears burn the back of my eyes, and I furiously blink them away.
Now is not the time to grieve.
Escape first…then make them fucking pay.
I desperately wanted to stay, but the old man used his alpha voice and ordered me to leave. I could’ve fought the order, could’ve remained at his side, but it was a losing battle. Evenwith a head start, I barely escaped with my life. Soldiers were waiting for me when I left, and I had to fight my way free.
I managed to evade them for hours, stealthily working my way toward the fringes. I thought I would make it…until they summoned the hounds.
It doesn’t take a seer to know I’m fucked, but I don’t stop.
I refuse to make my capture easy for them.
Kyperian is not a place for the weak. The only protection within the walls is for those who take it. The lore governs with an iron fist. You need permission to mate, permission to hunt for food, permission to relocate, permission to breed, permission to switch occupations, permission to even leave the protection of their walls.
Nothing is done without their approval.
The kismet had their own territory once upon a time…until we were hunted to near extinction. We’re too dangerous to be allowed free, not when a single touch from us can change a person’s fate. No, the council wants us in chains, forced to do their bidding. The predators on the council don’t want anyone to challenge their rule. Since most paranormal creatures can live for hundreds of years, they’ve been in charge for nearly half a millennium. They would rather die than give up their seats on the ruling council.
They are so corrupt that if anyone is strong enough to challenge them for their spot, the poor fools usually find themselves on the wrong side of the law and hunted down.
I’m a prime example.
Much to my frustration, my strength is flagging. By the time I fight through the thick brambles, I’m barely able to stay upright. Blood has soaked my shirt through, my jeans are wet with it, leaving bloody footprints behind, but that’s not what holds my attention.
The shimmering shield from the dome is only a few yards away, and my shoulders sag in relief. I’m shocked that I made it.
Unfortunately, I celebrated too soon.
Just as I step toward freedom, branches snap behind me. I whirl, stumbling away when a huge black beast crashes through the underbrush. I barely have time to brace myself before the massive creature charges.
