| Supernatural Science Fiction posted March 8, 2022 | Chapters: |
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The Curse/A Novel of the Breedline series
A chapter in the book THE CURSE
The Unexpected Guests/Pt 3
by scongrove
| Background Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. If you catch typos of mistakes, please let me know. Stay safe & I hope you enjoy! |
In an exclusive Novella set in the world of the Breedline—a secret species of humans who are born with the power to shift into wolves—Shana Congrove tells the story of a young boy, Joseph who—grieving over his mother’s death at the hands of his abusive father—finds his world turned upside down. While his father awaits sentencing, Joseph is placed into the system, going from one foster family to another. And just when things couldn’t get any worse, an evil entity invades his body, introducing itself as the Shadow.
Twenty-one years later, as this mysterious demonic spirit continues to inhabit Joseph’s body, it manipulates his mind, luring him toward something dark and sinister… something that is beyond his control.
Carrie Randall—a substance abuse counselor who is unsuccessful at dating and cursed with a boss from hell—comes face-to-face with death when two men approach her in a dark alley. In the midst of her assault, something resembling a werewolf, comes to her rescue in the nick of time. As she tries to process everything—unsure if what she witnessed was real or fantasy—her world suddenly collides with a handsome stranger as though they were somehow brought together by fate.
Despite her past relationships, Carrie finds herself spellbound, falling for Joseph Parker—a handsome, yet mysterious journalist who works for an esteemed newspaper in Berkeley, California. But when Carrie discovers his terrifying secrets, she begins to fear for her life.
Now, Carrie is forced to make the hardest decision of her life. Will she turn her back on Joseph or stay and help him fight the demon, who desires her soul?
Previously. . .
An air of melancholy surrounded the room, and Jem felt an intangible weight of regret and responsibility bearing down on him. As he went to offer Frank some consolation, an eerie laughter halted him in his tracks. The voice echoed through the room, sending chills through Jem’s veins. Then, out of nowhere, a figure from some haunted nightmare reached out with smoldering, boney fingers and gripped him by the throat. Instantly, the air in his lungs began to thicken.
In Jem’s desperate attempts to tear away from the powerful clutch that held him, his efforts seemed useless. “Not possible—” he finally managed to choke out, his face tight with pain.
Everyone turned in unison, mouths dropping in utter disbelief as they gazed upon the horror before them. Carrie had somehow transformed into something far more wicked, but that wasn’t the worst of it. The demonic-Carrie-thing had Jem by the throat.
Jessica opened her mouth to scream, but her voice failed her, horror paralyzing her whole.
Wreathed in flames, an evil monstrosity, resembling the Grim Reaper himself, appeared above them with a scornful gaze. A ghoulish face of teeth and bone peered out from underneath a black hooded robe, the empty eye sockets red with flames.
No, Carrie wanted to say, don’t hurt them, but the words would not come. The Shadow had taken her body and her ability to speak. She fought with all her strength to find her way back to herself, to shift back into her true form, but she was lost in the blaze of fire. Please, God, she thought, help me.
Continued. . .
Through gritted teeth, Jem struggled to catch his breath as the Shadow tightened his bone-crushing grip. His vision flickered and the world around him dimmed.
The growl that lit off across the room sounded like the roar of a revving engine, and at first Jem assumed Jena had shifted into her creature. He prayed like hell she was strong enough to destroy the Shadow, seeing that his powers didn’t get the job done.
When a glimpse of white shaggy fur whizzed by, Jem’s recollection told him it was a beast, just not Jena’s. Instead, it was his brother’s. And by the sound of it, Jace was good and pissed off.
Even his Breedline comrades seemed a bit taken back.
A werewolf, who towered to the height of at least seven feet, resembling the Abominable Snowman, suddenly raged across the living room. An end table toppled, and a lamp shattered in the path of the Beast’s charging mass. As it launched itself toward the Shadow, readying for an attack, its blinding speed took the evil entity by surprise.
The Shadow’s outstretched arm buckled upon impact, releasing Jem just as he was about to lose consciousness. As the infuriated werewolf lashed out, the demon quickly regained its composure and slapped its snapping maw away.
The Beast howled at the jarring blow, sliding across the hardwood floor in a skitter of claws, leaving tattered rakes behind. As he collided into a coffee table, wood splintered, and glass exploded into pieces. The supernatural creature took the collision head on, absorbing the wreckage, taking the pain.
Leaning against Ryan for support, Jessica’s tear-stained eyes bulged in terror, her focus on the hulking werewolf. As it crashed through her apartment, leaving a trail of destruction and fur in its wake, she hadn’t possessed the ability to scream, much less breathe. So instead, she clamped her hands to her face and released a quiet whimper into the palm of her hand.
“I promise,” whispered Ryan, lightly squeezing Jessica’s shoulder. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
While Ryan vowed to protect Jessica, the Beast had already recovered. The moment he rose on two feet, he huffed and shook himself free of the fragments of glass clinging to his fur. As he prepared for round two, a deep-throated growl, coming from behind, broke his focus. He turned to look and saw the transformed face of Jena, sleek and black and hideous. There was no mistaking her creature, a cursed werewolf as big as his beast and as deadly, if not deadlier. Like him, she was impervious to silver and the last of her kind. She studied him with a look of valor and determination. In that fleeting moment, he knew he wasn’t fighting this battle alone.
As they faced the demonic thing called the Shadow, its fiery orbs bore down on them, teeth bared, daring them to approach. Then, it stepped from the flames and spoke, “If you mangy mutts think you can destroy me,” the Shadow paused and waggled a bony finger in an attempt to further egg them on, “give it your best shot.”
In a snarling rage, the two werewolves pushed off their hind legs and sprung into the air like they’d been vaulted from a catapult. The Shadow, who aimed to swat the furry duo away, failed miserably. As a massive surge of angry teeth and claws slammed into the demon, it tumbled backwards like it had been hit by the weight of a moving train.
The Shadow came down hard, its boney spine connecting with the floor, sounding as though it had broken apart.
A large mass of dark fur and rippling muscle came into view and stood over the Shadow. In one swift motion, Jena brought down a hairy fist, and pounded into the Shadow’s skull like a battering ram. The sound of bones cracking alerted her lupine ears, producing a smile on her wolfish face.
The werewolf’s toothy grin intensified the Shadow’s anger. Possessing a speed entirely unexpected, the demon hands came up, fingers extended into boney hooks and gathered Jena by the throat. Its grip tightened, hard enough to open Jena’s eyes, and nipped her airway shut. In a split second, the Shadow rose, lifting Jena’s entire body off the floor.
With uncanny speed and eyes gleaming with malice, Jace’s beast sped forward with his jaws open. But before he could reach the demon, it crushed Jena’s windpipe with the force of a closing bear trap and flung her into the charging Beast. The two werewolves smacked into one another like a pair of bowling pins before crashing into a wall.
“Jena—” The man with purple eyes cried out, rushing toward the fallen werewolves. He knelt by the dark-furred female, who was lying on her side, and gently rolled her onto her back. She gasped in pain, but she controlled herself, and gazed up at the man who was staring down at her. His expression appeared visibly concerned.
“I’m okay, Nicolas,” she said in a puff of breath. “I’ll heal.”
“But—” He protested.
“Go,” she gritted out, clenching her teeth. “Help the others… Destroy the Shadow.”
Nicolas glanced over his shoulder, across the wreckage of the apartment, to the Shadow who glared at him in mockery. Nicolas rose with his brows pinched, then shifted his attention to Jace’s beast. In a semi-conscious daze, the werewolf grunted, but still managed to get to his feet. Some of the hide on his shoulders and chest had been ripped away, coating his white fur in crimson. The bloody image reminded Nicolas of the first time he’d laid eyes on Jace’s beast, back when they’d destroyed his older brother, Ashton.
Ashton had been cursed then. A savage killer. And he’d bitten Jena, spreading the Lupin virus to her. But God had given his brother a second chance. He’d been chosen as the angel of holy fire, tasked to protect humanity and guard the outer limits of heaven. Afterall, Ashton wasn’t born evil. Before he’d been cursed, he was an honorable man. A good, loving brother.
“Whaddya say we go kick some demon ass,” Nicolas finally said, peering up at the Beast.
Infused with fury, Jace’s beast looked at Nicolas narrow-eyed and nodded a ghastly affirmative.
To be continued. . .
Twenty-one years later, as this mysterious demonic spirit continues to inhabit Joseph’s body, it manipulates his mind, luring him toward something dark and sinister… something that is beyond his control.
Carrie Randall—a substance abuse counselor who is unsuccessful at dating and cursed with a boss from hell—comes face-to-face with death when two men approach her in a dark alley. In the midst of her assault, something resembling a werewolf, comes to her rescue in the nick of time. As she tries to process everything—unsure if what she witnessed was real or fantasy—her world suddenly collides with a handsome stranger as though they were somehow brought together by fate.
Despite her past relationships, Carrie finds herself spellbound, falling for Joseph Parker—a handsome, yet mysterious journalist who works for an esteemed newspaper in Berkeley, California. But when Carrie discovers his terrifying secrets, she begins to fear for her life.
Now, Carrie is forced to make the hardest decision of her life. Will she turn her back on Joseph or stay and help him fight the demon, who desires her soul?
Previously. . .
An air of melancholy surrounded the room, and Jem felt an intangible weight of regret and responsibility bearing down on him. As he went to offer Frank some consolation, an eerie laughter halted him in his tracks. The voice echoed through the room, sending chills through Jem’s veins. Then, out of nowhere, a figure from some haunted nightmare reached out with smoldering, boney fingers and gripped him by the throat. Instantly, the air in his lungs began to thicken.
In Jem’s desperate attempts to tear away from the powerful clutch that held him, his efforts seemed useless. “Not possible—” he finally managed to choke out, his face tight with pain.
Everyone turned in unison, mouths dropping in utter disbelief as they gazed upon the horror before them. Carrie had somehow transformed into something far more wicked, but that wasn’t the worst of it. The demonic-Carrie-thing had Jem by the throat.
Jessica opened her mouth to scream, but her voice failed her, horror paralyzing her whole.
Wreathed in flames, an evil monstrosity, resembling the Grim Reaper himself, appeared above them with a scornful gaze. A ghoulish face of teeth and bone peered out from underneath a black hooded robe, the empty eye sockets red with flames.
No, Carrie wanted to say, don’t hurt them, but the words would not come. The Shadow had taken her body and her ability to speak. She fought with all her strength to find her way back to herself, to shift back into her true form, but she was lost in the blaze of fire. Please, God, she thought, help me.
Continued. . .
Through gritted teeth, Jem struggled to catch his breath as the Shadow tightened his bone-crushing grip. His vision flickered and the world around him dimmed.
The growl that lit off across the room sounded like the roar of a revving engine, and at first Jem assumed Jena had shifted into her creature. He prayed like hell she was strong enough to destroy the Shadow, seeing that his powers didn’t get the job done.
When a glimpse of white shaggy fur whizzed by, Jem’s recollection told him it was a beast, just not Jena’s. Instead, it was his brother’s. And by the sound of it, Jace was good and pissed off.
Even his Breedline comrades seemed a bit taken back.
A werewolf, who towered to the height of at least seven feet, resembling the Abominable Snowman, suddenly raged across the living room. An end table toppled, and a lamp shattered in the path of the Beast’s charging mass. As it launched itself toward the Shadow, readying for an attack, its blinding speed took the evil entity by surprise.
The Shadow’s outstretched arm buckled upon impact, releasing Jem just as he was about to lose consciousness. As the infuriated werewolf lashed out, the demon quickly regained its composure and slapped its snapping maw away.
The Beast howled at the jarring blow, sliding across the hardwood floor in a skitter of claws, leaving tattered rakes behind. As he collided into a coffee table, wood splintered, and glass exploded into pieces. The supernatural creature took the collision head on, absorbing the wreckage, taking the pain.
Leaning against Ryan for support, Jessica’s tear-stained eyes bulged in terror, her focus on the hulking werewolf. As it crashed through her apartment, leaving a trail of destruction and fur in its wake, she hadn’t possessed the ability to scream, much less breathe. So instead, she clamped her hands to her face and released a quiet whimper into the palm of her hand.
“I promise,” whispered Ryan, lightly squeezing Jessica’s shoulder. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
While Ryan vowed to protect Jessica, the Beast had already recovered. The moment he rose on two feet, he huffed and shook himself free of the fragments of glass clinging to his fur. As he prepared for round two, a deep-throated growl, coming from behind, broke his focus. He turned to look and saw the transformed face of Jena, sleek and black and hideous. There was no mistaking her creature, a cursed werewolf as big as his beast and as deadly, if not deadlier. Like him, she was impervious to silver and the last of her kind. She studied him with a look of valor and determination. In that fleeting moment, he knew he wasn’t fighting this battle alone.
As they faced the demonic thing called the Shadow, its fiery orbs bore down on them, teeth bared, daring them to approach. Then, it stepped from the flames and spoke, “If you mangy mutts think you can destroy me,” the Shadow paused and waggled a bony finger in an attempt to further egg them on, “give it your best shot.”
In a snarling rage, the two werewolves pushed off their hind legs and sprung into the air like they’d been vaulted from a catapult. The Shadow, who aimed to swat the furry duo away, failed miserably. As a massive surge of angry teeth and claws slammed into the demon, it tumbled backwards like it had been hit by the weight of a moving train.
The Shadow came down hard, its boney spine connecting with the floor, sounding as though it had broken apart.
A large mass of dark fur and rippling muscle came into view and stood over the Shadow. In one swift motion, Jena brought down a hairy fist, and pounded into the Shadow’s skull like a battering ram. The sound of bones cracking alerted her lupine ears, producing a smile on her wolfish face.
The werewolf’s toothy grin intensified the Shadow’s anger. Possessing a speed entirely unexpected, the demon hands came up, fingers extended into boney hooks and gathered Jena by the throat. Its grip tightened, hard enough to open Jena’s eyes, and nipped her airway shut. In a split second, the Shadow rose, lifting Jena’s entire body off the floor.
With uncanny speed and eyes gleaming with malice, Jace’s beast sped forward with his jaws open. But before he could reach the demon, it crushed Jena’s windpipe with the force of a closing bear trap and flung her into the charging Beast. The two werewolves smacked into one another like a pair of bowling pins before crashing into a wall.
“Jena—” The man with purple eyes cried out, rushing toward the fallen werewolves. He knelt by the dark-furred female, who was lying on her side, and gently rolled her onto her back. She gasped in pain, but she controlled herself, and gazed up at the man who was staring down at her. His expression appeared visibly concerned.
“I’m okay, Nicolas,” she said in a puff of breath. “I’ll heal.”
“But—” He protested.
“Go,” she gritted out, clenching her teeth. “Help the others… Destroy the Shadow.”
Nicolas glanced over his shoulder, across the wreckage of the apartment, to the Shadow who glared at him in mockery. Nicolas rose with his brows pinched, then shifted his attention to Jace’s beast. In a semi-conscious daze, the werewolf grunted, but still managed to get to his feet. Some of the hide on his shoulders and chest had been ripped away, coating his white fur in crimson. The bloody image reminded Nicolas of the first time he’d laid eyes on Jace’s beast, back when they’d destroyed his older brother, Ashton.
Ashton had been cursed then. A savage killer. And he’d bitten Jena, spreading the Lupin virus to her. But God had given his brother a second chance. He’d been chosen as the angel of holy fire, tasked to protect humanity and guard the outer limits of heaven. Afterall, Ashton wasn’t born evil. Before he’d been cursed, he was an honorable man. A good, loving brother.
“Whaddya say we go kick some demon ass,” Nicolas finally said, peering up at the Beast.
Infused with fury, Jace’s beast looked at Nicolas narrow-eyed and nodded a ghastly affirmative.
To be continued. . .
NOTE: This is not part of the chapter. A reference for terms and cast of characters in this 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.
BREEDLINE COVENANT - The Breedline species must live within the boundaries of their Covenant. There is one in every state. A council governs its laws and oversees the species population.
Jena McCain - She is an inspiring artist with the ability to speak with the dead. Jena was attacked and bitten by an age-old creature and cursed with a lust for human blood. Now that she is to become the creature and hunt humans, instead of killing innocent people, she will only hunt evil.
Nicolas Ratcliff - He is immortal with the power of invisibility and supernatural speed. He works for the San Francisco Police Department as a detective. Heâ??s bonded with Jena McCain.
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 (a.k.a. Joseph Harris) - 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.
Jace Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Beast) - He is a Breedline species who later discovers he was born with a curse of the Beast, inherited by the Chiang-Shih demon. His bonded mate is Tessa Fairchild. He's an IT engineer and the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar in the band Chaos.
Jem Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Chosen Son) - He is a Breedline species and Jace's identical twin brother. He carries the gene of the Chiang-Shih demon, which gives him the power to create a portal and a force of electrical energy used as a weapon and other powers he discovers later. His bonded mate is Mia Blackwood. He's an IT engineer and the drummer in the band Chaos.
Tim Ross - He is a Breedline species and the council head of the California Covenant.
Jessica - Carrie's best friend and roommate.
Ryan - Jessica's boyfriend.
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.
BREEDLINE COVENANT - The Breedline species must live within the boundaries of their Covenant. There is one in every state. A council governs its laws and oversees the species population.
Jena McCain - She is an inspiring artist with the ability to speak with the dead. Jena was attacked and bitten by an age-old creature and cursed with a lust for human blood. Now that she is to become the creature and hunt humans, instead of killing innocent people, she will only hunt evil.
Nicolas Ratcliff - He is immortal with the power of invisibility and supernatural speed. He works for the San Francisco Police Department as a detective. Heâ??s bonded with Jena McCain.
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 (a.k.a. Joseph Harris) - 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.
Jace Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Beast) - He is a Breedline species who later discovers he was born with a curse of the Beast, inherited by the Chiang-Shih demon. His bonded mate is Tessa Fairchild. He's an IT engineer and the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar in the band Chaos.
Jem Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Chosen Son) - He is a Breedline species and Jace's identical twin brother. He carries the gene of the Chiang-Shih demon, which gives him the power to create a portal and a force of electrical energy used as a weapon and other powers he discovers later. His bonded mate is Mia Blackwood. He's an IT engineer and the drummer in the band Chaos.
Tim Ross - He is a Breedline species and the council head of the California Covenant.
Jessica - Carrie's best friend and roommate.
Ryan - Jessica's boyfriend.
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