Scaleborn Book 1 - The Breeder's Runaway Daughter.

Chapter 1 - Part 1

A constant torrent of rain turned half-hazard puddles of polluted water into wide expanses of clear baby- blue streams and mini lakes that ran over sidewalks and pooled in the uneven pores of roads. The heavy pounding of the rain on the asphalt and brick washing away all the filth of downtown and leaving the buildings, streets and sidewalks looking clean and fresh. The faint smells of wet garbage and rusting metal were the only remains of the mess that was human civilization. A young man walked down the centre of one of the many empty rain-washed roads – oblivious to the beauty of the scenery around him. His posture had once resembled that of ultimate cockiness and pride, but the seeping rain that poured down over him like a cold shower seemed to have washed all his confidence away as it soaked his designer clothes, making the expensive fabric cling unflatteringly to his form like wet newspaper. Water rushed from overflowing gutters and buckled structures on either side of him. Splattering to the sidewalks and parking areas in in streams like miniature versions of waterfalls. Their constant pouring becoming a soothing rumble as asphalt and water amplified the sound as they met the artificially hard earth far below. The song of falling water echoed all around, as fat heavy drops met concrete and high over-hanging rooftops of warehouses and loading docks. Nature's way of bringing beauty even to the most forsaken of concrete jungles. One could practically feel the motherly touch of creation as light flags of rain blew from the heavens, tickling the earth with its rhythmic song – everything seemed so calm and peaceful, but the only sound the young man could hear was the disgusting sound of mud squelching around his feet and the sucking sound the filthy water made as it drenched his expensive sneakers with every step he took. His shoulders were stiff, and he kept throwing nervous glances through the semi translucid curtain of pouring rain that surrounded him, at the apparent emptiness of the world beyond. Apparently, there was more than his ruined brand name foot-wear that haunted him. All he could see on all sides were towering industrial buildings, storage units locked up tight, and vacant streets. Everything he could see was stained a starry blue colour, under the watery glow of the full moon. Though he could see nothing else, no signs of life, no evidence that these streets were always crawling with humans by day and scavenging stray dogs and cats by night, or even that there had ever been any. It felt like the eery silence of a forest that was holding its breath in the presence of an apex predator, had taken human form and was walking the streets dressed in all black – scaring anything and everything back into the holes they dared crawl out of. The silence made the sound of rushing water seem distant, and that made his skin crawl as he observed the lack of any other living forms around him. Goosebumps broke out over his skin – but they were not caused by the cold from his soaked clothes. Not for the first time the young man wondered if he really was cut out for this life – though this time it was his own voice that raised the question in his mind, and not one of the taunting voices who usually haunted him.

If there truly was nothing out there, then why did the shadows of over-grown trees on the sidewalks feel like monsters with outstretched claws, and why did the foggy depths of the alleyways and side streets leading between the various warehouses feel like the yawning mouths of hell waiting to swallow him whole.

His lips tightened as he tried to mask his anxiety, and he shoved his hands into his pockets, attempting to play indifference. Men of his lineage weren't supposed to show fear, and so neither would he. He wouldn't let those voices in his mind win – he wouldn't prove everyone right. Hardening his features into the mask he had seen men wear countless times, he flicked his eyes from side to side, still keeping an eye out for danger but maintaining the look of complete control. He knew his look spoke of a challenge, and he projected it into the looming shadows on all sides. He was ninety-nine percent sure he was doing it right; he had practised his brutal alpha face for hours in front of the mirror ever since he was a child. As a little boy he had to learn that the trick behind not getting bullied or being afraid of the monster under his bed, was to simply be scarier than what or whomever scared him – because if he didn't stand up for himself and be brave, then no one else would. Most of the time his ruse worked. He managed to avoid his peers up to an extent and his father wasn't angry because he couldn't sleep without a light on anymore – but the truth was that he was still scared. Fear wasn't something you could afford just anyone to see –especially not your enemies. Monsters couldn't scare him anymore though; he was a grown man–and he himself was now a creature of many human nightmares. So why should the prospect of mere empty shadows hasten his step and fill him with unease. Except – he knew those shadows weren't empty and neither were their promises. He had suspected that he was being followed since he stepped foot out of the meeting, and his first instinct had been to take a detour before heading back to his car, to confuse whomever was tracking him. However, that plan had backfired when the slight drizzle of earlier had turned into a full-on cloud break and he too had become turned around in the maze of buildings that all looked the same and smelled of wet brick and peeling paint. For a while he had thought that he had been mistaken. That it was only his imagination toying with him. He had hoped that it was only a figment manifested from his own fears and insecurities. More specifically the fear of being found out and punished by some higher power for the business he had been conducting here. Business – yes – that was all it was.

Initially he had felt a semblance of guilt over his intentions, but the reality that he would need to do something that really made an impact, to raise his status in the system was undeniable. This was something he just had to do –

And he had to succeed... There was something out there, that blended into shadow starlight and rain – and it was closing in on him – he was sure of it.

This chapter will be continued in Chapter 1 Part 2...

Thank you for reading!