Feral Awakening (The Feral Series-Book 2)
Read Feral Awakening (The Feral Series-Book 2) Online
Authors: Erin Ashley
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Feral |
Erin Ashley |
Book 2- Feral |
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This
book can stand alone but you will enjoy it more if you read Feral Instincts
first.
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infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The
names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s
imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be viewed as real.
Any resemblance to persons living or dead, locale or organizations, actual
events is purely coincidental.
All rights are
reserved. No part of this book, Feral Awakening, may be used or reproduced in
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Copyright @ 2013
Erin Ashley – All Rights Reserved and Protected Worldwide.
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This
one is for you mom. Thanks for always being my greatest cheerleader. Oh and
never mind the kinky bits. We’ll talk later….
Restlessly Kat fought
against the dream that held her in its steely grasp. With a moan she kicked her
bare legs free of the blankets that seemed determined to tangle around her like
giant python wrapping her in its tight embrace. Fisting the sheets beneath her
she thrashed in the bed. Sweat dampened her brow and trickled between her
breasts. Her cheeks flushed as heat seemed to radiate from her skin.
A strange new energy
seemed to shimmer just below her skin; an energy that filled her with
frustration and longing. Tears filled her eyes as she was overcome by the
strange emotions coursing through her system. Her body ached with need but for
what she did not know. The energy inside of her continued to build until she
could no longer stand to lie idly in the bed.
Rising from the confines
of the old iron bed, she prowled through the dark house. Tall shadows painted
strange abstract artwork on her living room walls. Restlessly she padded across
the ancient wooden floor in bare feet. Wrapping her arms around her waist she
struggled to contain the energy buzzing like tiny hornets through her body.
With a low growl of
frustration she began to pace, running her fingers through her pillow tangled
mahogany curls. The old farm house that usually comforted her suddenly seemed
to be closing in from every side. The very air inside was becoming heavy and
too thick to breath.
Bolting for the door
she worked frantically at the heavy lock, clawing at the knob she flung the
front door wide and stood in the doorway. Drawing in several deep breaths she
let the cool night air soothe her fevered skin. A gust of wind blew across the
front porch, sending a pair of fall leaves waltzing across the worn floor
boards. Her skin had cooled slightly but the energy inside of her continued to
build. Walking to the chalky old column of the porch, she gripped it tightly, her
nails digging into the old wood. In desperation she turned her gaze to the
calming presence of the forest that surrounded her little house.
The cooling comfort of
the woods called to her and the strange energy inside of her demanded she
answer. No longer able to resist she gave into the urges in her straining body
and raced down the creaking old porch steps. Her bare feet sinking into the
damp grass, she raced across the yard, running into the welcoming embrace of
the dark woods.
She had spent many an
afternoon walking this trail, her feet beating a worn path in the underbrush,
it welcomed her like an old friend. The wind blew her tangled locks behind her
shoulders and the fabric of her thin shift rippled across her sensitive skin as
she raced through the wilderness. Running between the trailing arms of the
trees, her bare feet skipped across the damp earth.
The energy that she had
been struggling against, that had tried to consume her, now filled her with
power as she ran. Where once there had been pain, now there was pleasure. The night
called to her and she felt relief with every step she took. Inhaling the scents
around her she felt as though she had become a part of the wilderness and the
joy of the run sang through her veins. The peace of the forest became a part of
her and she a part of it. She was no longer just a visitor but a welcome
inhabitant of the world around her.
Unaware of the chill
clinging to her skin or the damp air flowing through her lungs, she ran. Joy
and freedom sang through her veins. With s sinking heart she realized she
neared the end of the trail. Slowing to a walk she savored the last few feet of
the trail as all too soon her little farm house rose before her in the
clearing. With a sigh of regret she lingered in the shadows of the trees,
unwilling to leave the comfort of the woods.
With a sigh she
emerged from the embrace of the forest, her toes once again sank into the
tender grass of her yard. In a blissful daze she walked across the yard and
once again found herself on the creaky front steps of her porch. With a
graceful stretch and a yawn she opened the front door, closing it firmly behind
her, once again turning the heavy deadbolt.
Already half asleep
she wondered back to her bedroom and flopped limply onto her bed. With a smile
of contentment she stretched her spent muscles and curled up under her old
quilt with a sigh. Just as she drifted back to sleep she heard the howl of a
lone wolf pierce the silence of the night.
From deep in the woods
his dark gaze focused on the tiny house before him. Just four thin walls
separated him from the little female. Taking in a deep breath he slashed his
razor sharp claws at the trees, throwing his head back he howled up at the
night sky. Her scent filled the night air all around him teasing his senses
with wildflowers and heated skin. With a snarl he turned his back on the little
house and returned to the shadows of the woods. She would be his, but not yet. For
now, he was still enjoying the hunt.
Bright morning light
and the chirping of birds woke Kat better than any alarm clock could. With a
groan she stretched and forced herself to leave the warmth of the bed. Rubbing
bleary eyes she made her way into her tiny kitchen and started the coffee pot. She
was quickly rewarded as the aroma of fresh brewed coffee filled the small space.
After a brief visit to the bathroom she stole one of the quilts off of the back
of her sofa and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Bleary eyed she
blindly grabbed a colorful mug out of one of the shiny old metal cabinets. Functioning
on auto-pilot she poured the dark liquid into the cup and stirred in amaretto
creamer while yawning widely. Her head still foggy with sleep she shuffled out
onto the porch and settled into one of the old rockers. Pulling her feet up
under her, she burrowed deeper into the quilt and cupped the coffee in her
chilled hands. Several sips into her coffee the world around her slowly came
into focus. She was simply nonfunctioning in the morning until she had at least
one cup of coffee in her system and weather permitting, she preferred to be on
her front porch when the coffee finally opened her eyes and got her brain
moving again.
With a groan, Kat
rubbed the sleep from her eyes. God, she had been having the strangest dreams
lately. The lack of sleep was really starting to get to her. Last night she had
dreamt of running through the woods. Luckily last night’s dream had been a good
one instead of one her usual nightmares. It had been one of those dreams you
were actually mad you had to wake up from. She had been flying through the
woods with the wind in her hair and it had felt amazing.
Her dreams often had
more of a nightmarish quality, dreams that made her dread falling asleep at
night. The same nightmares had haunted her for years. They were always the
same. She dreamt of monsters with flashing teeth and long claws chasing her and
her mother as they ran for their lives.
Sometimes she dreamt
of a man with golden eyes. Sometimes the golden man was the monster and
sometimes he was her protector. Sometimes she dreamt that she was a child, lost
in the night and searching for him. Then, just as she would find him, he would
disappear again leaving her alone. She always woke from the dream with a deep
feeling of loss and loneliness.
Last night’s dream had
seemed so real though. If the dreams didn’t let up soon she was going to go
nuts. She was definitely someone who didn’t function well on only a few hours
of sleep. She had been so emotional lately, she was going to have to do
something or her friends were going to disown her.
With a sigh she
finished off the last of her coffee and eased her bare legs from under the
quilt. It was time to take care of a few things around the house and then get
ready for work. As she reached for the handle of the front door something on
the steps of the porch suddenly caught her eye. Stepping back she looked at the
marks on the front steps.
“That’s strange.” Why
were there muddy foot prints on her front porch? Walking closer to the steps
she turned until her bare feet lined up with the muddy prints. It was a perfect
match. Huh, that was weird, she didn’t remember walking into the yard this
morning. Looking closer at her bare feet she began to see how dirty they were. “Well,
it’s official. I’m losing my mind.” Was it possible she was so sleep deprived
she didn’t remember walking into the yard this morning? Huh, guess so. She
would need to start making a stronger pot of coffee in the morning. Rubbing her
hands across her face shook her head and went into the house to get ready.
Kat’s rusty old pickup
truck rumbled into the alley behind Serendipity. Shifting into park she pulled
the key from the ignition and opened the creaky old door. Swinging her legs out
of the truck she slid off of the bench seat in a less than ladylike manner that
hiked up the back of her skirt. Her cowgirl boots hit the pavement with a clunk
and a shimmy that had everything settled back into place in one move.
She had dressed in
urban cowgirl today; any excuse to wear her boots to work. Although a bit of a
tomboy she still loved to dress the part of the girly girl. She wore a warm
chocolate colored dress with her favorite brown leather cowgirl boots with an
intricate turquoise design on the shafts. Around her neck was one of the
handmade turquoise necklaces she had bought from one of the other boutiques. It
went nicely with the little stone pendant her mother had given her. The pendant
was a constant in her wardrobe and she never took off. Her other constant was the
braided leather cuff bracelet that she liked to wear. She had an ugly scar on
her wrist and usually wore thick bracelets to hide it. It wasn’t a problem
though, she loved jewelry anyway.
She was part owner of
Serendipity. She and her friend Patrick had opened the little shop a few years
ago. It was a good partnership. Patrick was great at running the shop and Kat
was more of the creative artsy fartsy one. It was great to have an outlet for
her creative side. Serendipity was their pride and joy and they filled it with
all of the little treasure they found at local estate sales and auctions. It
was eclectic to say the least.