| Supernatural Fiction posted January 26, 2021 | Chapters: |
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The Curse/A Novel of the Breedline series
A chapter in the book THE CURSE
More Bark than Bite
by scongrove
| Background Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. It's new, so if you catch typos or mistakes, please let me know. Stay safe & enjoy! |
When Joseph pulled into the New Hope Foundation parking lot, he parked beside Carrie’s Volkswagen Beetle. After he turned off the ignition, he reached for his seat belt . . .
And froze with his hand on the clip, fixating his eyes on something outside, seemingly far off into the distance.
“Which one will it be, Joseph?” the Shadow’s words echoed into his subconscious. “Sweet Carrie or her bitchy boss? Make a decision before I do it for you.”
Carrie turned toward him, noticing he was in some sort of trance. “Joseph?”
He closed his eyes, drowning out his surroundings. God, he’d give anything to be normal. To make his own decisions, to live his life by his own rules, to think for himself.
“Without me,” the Shadow callously remarked, “you are weak and pitiful. I give you strength and courage to survive in this cruel world. You are nothing without me, Joseph.”
“Joseph…” Carrie raised her voice. “Is something wrong?”
He rubbed his eyes and finally said, “It’s nothing.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yah.” He shrugged it off and faked a smile. “I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Nothing really.” He unfastened his seat belt and reached for the door handle. “Just work stuff, that’s all.”
He went around the front of the Jeep and opened her door. She smiled the moment he held out his hand, waiting for her to take hold.
As she put her hand in his and stepped out of the vehicle, her body instantly came up against his. Instead of moving out of her way, he stood there, looking down at her. He knew he should take a step back, but he felt he couldn’t. Something about her kept him there. It was like she held him under a spell of some kind.
Unexpectedly, his hands went to the base of her neck. He lowered his head and hovered close to her lips.
“Don’t do it, Joseph,” the Shadow urged. “You’re letting your emotions take control.”
Ignoring the voice in his head, he was bound and determined to kiss her, even if it killed him to do so.
Carrie stared up into Joseph’s blue eyes, anticipating his touch. Good lord, she was lost in his hypnotizing gaze.
Unable to stop himself, he closed the distance between them and gently pressed his lips to hers. As his tongue invaded her mouth, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer. Then he changed the kiss, going in deep, exploring every inch of her mouth.
“Carrie…” A sharp voice called out.
Instantly, Joseph flinched and pulled away. He looked up while Carrie took a moment to catch her breath.
Finally, she exhaled a deep breath and turned around. “Veronica—”
Veronica stared at them with a hateful glare. “Carrie, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I—Uh…” Carrie muttered, profoundly tongue-tied.
“What’s your problem?” Joseph gritted out. “For crying-out-loud, we’re just kissing good-bye.”
“I say we pick the bitchy boss,” the Shadow said in a seething tone. “She’s had it coming for way too long.”
Veronica came forward and stood with her hands on her hips. “Well, well, well…” she said with a smug look on her face. “That’s one hell of a smart mouth you got there, Mr. Parker. You might want to be mindful of how you use your words. I mean… you wouldn’t want to piss off the wrong person.”
“I’m going to enjoy killing this one,” the Shadow hissed. “Slow and very painful.”
“Excuse me?” Joseph said, furrowing his brows. “Did you just threaten me?”
Carrie took hold of Joseph’s hand and lightly tugged. “Please…” she said in a hushed voice. “It’s not worth it. Just let it go.”
“Speak up, Carrie,” Veronica said, flipping her long hair back. “I didn’t quite catch that.”
Carrie quickly let go of Joseph’s hand and focused her eyes on Veronica. “I-It’s just that…” she managed to stammer around the knot in her throat. “I don’t want anyone getting worked up over nothing.”
Veronica cocked a brow. “Is that so?”
“I know public displays of affection are against company policy,” Carrie went on to say, “but it was just a simple kiss. And it’s not like it happened in the office.”
“A simple kiss my ass,” Veronica snapped. “He practically had his entire tongue crammed down the back of your throat.”
“I promise,” Carrie said. “I won’t let it happen again.”
“You can bet your ass it won’t,” Veronica huffed. “Mr. Parker will no longer be permitted on the company’s premises.”
“Are you serious?” Joseph said, looking completely baffled by Veronica’s outburst.
“Oh, believe me, Mr. Parker. I’m dead serious.”
“You’ll be dead alright,” the Shadow said. “Sooner than you think.”
“By whose authority?” Joseph shrugged. “You don’t own this company.”
“Let me ask you this, Mr. Parker. Do you like your job at the Chronicle?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means…” Veronica smirked. “I can have you terminated with one phone call.”
“You’re deranged.” He snarled his upper lip. “And that’s a polite way of describing someone like you.”
“Oh really?” She pursed her lips. “We’ll just see about that, now won’t we.”
“Go ahead,” Joseph said, brushing it off like it was nothing. “If it makes you feel better, get me fired. I could give a shit.”
Veronica’s mouth fell open, but Joseph ignored her reaction and looked down at Carrie as she took hold of his hand again.
“I’m so sorry, Joseph,” she said, her voice trembling. “This is all my fault.”
“Carrie, this is not your fault.” He squeezed her hand. “None of it is. And I’m not going to stand by while this woman, who doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you, much less have you as an employee, continues to treat you like a doormat. Do you understand?”
Carrie nodded as tears gathered in her eyes.
Before Joseph had the chance to tell Carrie’s boss exactly what he thought of her, the sound of tires squealing took him by surprise. When he turned to look, he saw the back of Veronica’s Mercedes as it tore out of the parking lot.
“The nerve of that woman,” Joseph said, shaking his head.
Carrie sighed. “What about your job? Do you really think she’ll try to get you fired?”
Joseph wrapped his arm around her waist. “Come on.” He pulled her close. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure she’s more bark than she is bite.”
“You really think so?”
“Look at this face,” he said, grinning ear-to-ear. “Does it look like I’m worried?”
“Oh, Joseph.” A smile curved her lips. “What am I going to do with you?”
He leaned over a little and puckered his lips. “How ‘bout another kiss?”
Carrie rose on her tiptoes and lightly pressed her lips to his.
“I’ll call you later tonight,” he said, opening her car door.
Moments later, as Carrie got in her car and drove away, Joseph hung back in the parking lot. As he sat behind the wheel, he pondered on the situation with Carrie’s boss.
“You’re overthinking this Joseph,” the Shadow spoke out. “You know what to do.”
To be continued. . .
And froze with his hand on the clip, fixating his eyes on something outside, seemingly far off into the distance.
“Which one will it be, Joseph?” the Shadow’s words echoed into his subconscious. “Sweet Carrie or her bitchy boss? Make a decision before I do it for you.”
Carrie turned toward him, noticing he was in some sort of trance. “Joseph?”
He closed his eyes, drowning out his surroundings. God, he’d give anything to be normal. To make his own decisions, to live his life by his own rules, to think for himself.
“Without me,” the Shadow callously remarked, “you are weak and pitiful. I give you strength and courage to survive in this cruel world. You are nothing without me, Joseph.”
“Joseph…” Carrie raised her voice. “Is something wrong?”
He rubbed his eyes and finally said, “It’s nothing.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yah.” He shrugged it off and faked a smile. “I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Nothing really.” He unfastened his seat belt and reached for the door handle. “Just work stuff, that’s all.”
He went around the front of the Jeep and opened her door. She smiled the moment he held out his hand, waiting for her to take hold.
As she put her hand in his and stepped out of the vehicle, her body instantly came up against his. Instead of moving out of her way, he stood there, looking down at her. He knew he should take a step back, but he felt he couldn’t. Something about her kept him there. It was like she held him under a spell of some kind.
Unexpectedly, his hands went to the base of her neck. He lowered his head and hovered close to her lips.
“Don’t do it, Joseph,” the Shadow urged. “You’re letting your emotions take control.”
Ignoring the voice in his head, he was bound and determined to kiss her, even if it killed him to do so.
Carrie stared up into Joseph’s blue eyes, anticipating his touch. Good lord, she was lost in his hypnotizing gaze.
Unable to stop himself, he closed the distance between them and gently pressed his lips to hers. As his tongue invaded her mouth, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer. Then he changed the kiss, going in deep, exploring every inch of her mouth.
“Carrie…” A sharp voice called out.
Instantly, Joseph flinched and pulled away. He looked up while Carrie took a moment to catch her breath.
Finally, she exhaled a deep breath and turned around. “Veronica—”
Veronica stared at them with a hateful glare. “Carrie, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I—Uh…” Carrie muttered, profoundly tongue-tied.
“What’s your problem?” Joseph gritted out. “For crying-out-loud, we’re just kissing good-bye.”
“I say we pick the bitchy boss,” the Shadow said in a seething tone. “She’s had it coming for way too long.”
Veronica came forward and stood with her hands on her hips. “Well, well, well…” she said with a smug look on her face. “That’s one hell of a smart mouth you got there, Mr. Parker. You might want to be mindful of how you use your words. I mean… you wouldn’t want to piss off the wrong person.”
“I’m going to enjoy killing this one,” the Shadow hissed. “Slow and very painful.”
“Excuse me?” Joseph said, furrowing his brows. “Did you just threaten me?”
Carrie took hold of Joseph’s hand and lightly tugged. “Please…” she said in a hushed voice. “It’s not worth it. Just let it go.”
“Speak up, Carrie,” Veronica said, flipping her long hair back. “I didn’t quite catch that.”
Carrie quickly let go of Joseph’s hand and focused her eyes on Veronica. “I-It’s just that…” she managed to stammer around the knot in her throat. “I don’t want anyone getting worked up over nothing.”
Veronica cocked a brow. “Is that so?”
“I know public displays of affection are against company policy,” Carrie went on to say, “but it was just a simple kiss. And it’s not like it happened in the office.”
“A simple kiss my ass,” Veronica snapped. “He practically had his entire tongue crammed down the back of your throat.”
“I promise,” Carrie said. “I won’t let it happen again.”
“You can bet your ass it won’t,” Veronica huffed. “Mr. Parker will no longer be permitted on the company’s premises.”
“Are you serious?” Joseph said, looking completely baffled by Veronica’s outburst.
“Oh, believe me, Mr. Parker. I’m dead serious.”
“You’ll be dead alright,” the Shadow said. “Sooner than you think.”
“By whose authority?” Joseph shrugged. “You don’t own this company.”
“Let me ask you this, Mr. Parker. Do you like your job at the Chronicle?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means…” Veronica smirked. “I can have you terminated with one phone call.”
“You’re deranged.” He snarled his upper lip. “And that’s a polite way of describing someone like you.”
“Oh really?” She pursed her lips. “We’ll just see about that, now won’t we.”
“Go ahead,” Joseph said, brushing it off like it was nothing. “If it makes you feel better, get me fired. I could give a shit.”
Veronica’s mouth fell open, but Joseph ignored her reaction and looked down at Carrie as she took hold of his hand again.
“I’m so sorry, Joseph,” she said, her voice trembling. “This is all my fault.”
“Carrie, this is not your fault.” He squeezed her hand. “None of it is. And I’m not going to stand by while this woman, who doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you, much less have you as an employee, continues to treat you like a doormat. Do you understand?”
Carrie nodded as tears gathered in her eyes.
Before Joseph had the chance to tell Carrie’s boss exactly what he thought of her, the sound of tires squealing took him by surprise. When he turned to look, he saw the back of Veronica’s Mercedes as it tore out of the parking lot.
“The nerve of that woman,” Joseph said, shaking his head.
Carrie sighed. “What about your job? Do you really think she’ll try to get you fired?”
Joseph wrapped his arm around her waist. “Come on.” He pulled her close. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure she’s more bark than she is bite.”
“You really think so?”
“Look at this face,” he said, grinning ear-to-ear. “Does it look like I’m worried?”
“Oh, Joseph.” A smile curved her lips. “What am I going to do with you?”
He leaned over a little and puckered his lips. “How ‘bout another kiss?”
Carrie rose on her tiptoes and lightly pressed her lips to his.
“I’ll call you later tonight,” he said, opening her car door.
Moments later, as Carrie got in her car and drove away, Joseph hung back in the parking lot. As he sat behind the wheel, he pondered on the situation with Carrie’s boss.
“You’re overthinking this Joseph,” the Shadow spoke out. “You know what to do.”
To be continued. . .
A reference for terms and cast of characters used in the chapter, especially for new readers:
BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
Carrie Randall - She is Detective Frank Perkin's niece. She works as a substance abuse counselor in Berkeley, California. She has a love interest in Joseph Parker.
Joseph Parker - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
Veronica Hernandez - Carrie's boss.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
Carrie Randall - She is Detective Frank Perkin's niece. She works as a substance abuse counselor in Berkeley, California. She has a love interest in Joseph Parker.
Joseph Parker - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
Veronica Hernandez - Carrie's boss.
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