Midnight Shadows

Chapter 1

AN: Welcome to the new, edited beginning of Midnight Shadows, the sequel to King of Beasts.  Enjoy!

It starts in the pit of his stomach. There's a knot, and the knot grows, and spreads. The viney tendrils snake up his chest, crushing his sternum. A pressure builds and crushes until even breathing hurts. It's all consuming. The sensation of the grass beneath his bare feet fades. The wind touching his chest means nothing anymore. There is only the horrible, horrible pain and the weight of the sky falling upon his shoulders.

The lake stretches out before him and below him. His toes hang over the edge of the cliff and the rocky beach underneath. Not high enough to kill. Did he wish it was?

"Gabriel." A sullen voice interrupts his quiet moment of agony. He doesn't move or acknowledge Odin as he comes up behind him. This pain was becoming alive, gripping him. He shut his eyes from the memory of Charlotte swimming across this lake in the morning, slender and beautiful, hair ablaze in a lake of blue. His teeth grind, trying to find sanctuary in this current world, not in what he has built in his mind. "Gabriel, we must go back. The pack is waiting for you."

Still he remains where he is. He takes in a tremendous breath. He feels his jeans scraping against his legs in the breeze. His shirt hung in his hand where he had stood, frozen, encompassed by this pain as he was so often to do lately. His run had been freeing, one of the only releases he has been able to find since her death. Him and his beast, the only two to know this world without their mate. The only two to grieve as they do. Sprinting through the woods, muscles straining, digging up dirt and leaves and daring anyone to stop them.

Odin places a hand on his shoulder, dragging him back from the edge of his sanity. His shoulders rise up once more from their slouch and he turns away from Odin's touch to don his shirt and turn away from the lake. Stepping from that ledge gave him a moments reprieve from this suspended torture. This was no world he wanted to turn to though.

Looking out on the lake, he could see her. Could see her clearly. The slender curve of her back, the flow of those wild curls, he could even hear her laugh as she saw him watching her. Looking out on that lake he could smell her scent on the wind. He could be with her there. This was a world for them he wanted.

But here, turning in front of Odin, there was nothing. His beast cries within him. This vacant, empty place wasn't for him. It had been for him and Charlotte.

He didn't want to be here any longer.

"What have you got for me Odin." He demanded, and together they walked side by side back into the forest towards home.

But a piece of Gabe remained on that cliff, watching Charlotte, while the rest of him writhed in silent agony.

.

.

.

Headlights flashed in front of Jane with a horn soon following as she almost hit yet another car. The violent roar of the engine sounded in her ears, reminding her to shift but the movement caused the horrendous pain in her shoulder to sear. The scream ripped from her throat was impossible to hold back, forcing the pain in her ribs to erupt.

The Bluetooth lit up, an incoming call from Justin. She answered on the steering wheel, reeling from this technology and wildly thankful for it.

"Where are you!" the shout coming from the other end of the line woke her up. Her head was fuzzy, dizzy with pain and blood loss. Spasms rocketed in her wound, shooting down deep, worrying her. Her windows were down, letting in the sharp cold to keep her awake, and sane. "Dammit Jane! What the fuck is going on!"

She shook her head, sat up straighter, avoided the cars parked on the side of the road. The city was confusing and complicated and she was still not good at navigating it after being here for two years. "I'm on my way." She managed to say after swallowing. "I've lost him, but he's got the whole gang with him."

Another spasm, this one shooting down her back and she screamed again. She was going to crash. "What did he do? Jane what did he do to you how close are you? Jane, Jane please stay with me, please focus."

His voice calmed, became careful, so unlike her brother. It in turn calmed her and let her focus on the roads, taking a screeching left hand turn and side swiping a mini van. The small lurch it caused in her SUV had her panting, instinctive tears building in the corner of her eyes that she couldn't stop if she tried.

"He bit me." She choked out. Just saying the words made her tremble in fear and she hated herself for it. "I'm five minutes away. Get the go bags, get Teddy ready, and wait at the front door but don't go outside. I managed to escape and I've probably got ten minutes on them but he has guys everywhere. I mean it Justin, we need to go. Emergency check is in the junk drawer, leave it on the counter for the landlord. Leave your phone, even leave Teddy's DS I don't know if they can track that, we'll get him another one—"

"Jane, I've got it, we've been practicing this for years. It's not our first go, I'll be ready. Just get here in one piece."

Which would be more of a challenge than she'd originally thought as black spots burst from the corners of her eyes and nearly over took her. The lamppost would have been the last thing she saw if the jolt of pain hadn't woken her up, steering her back onto the road. Her jaw thrummed from where she had been hit she twenty minutes prior, the bruise forming deep and blue.

When she pulled up in front of their town house Justin was already out the door, dragging Teddy behind him. The little guy had his backpack and arms stacked with a bunch of bags, as many as he could carry. She could hear him now, saying he can take more, he can handle it. Justin's face was sewn straight in a scowl, but his eyes were deep with concern. He threw open the backseat and helped Teddy and all their bags in, then whipped around to the driver's side.

Jane didn't think he was expecting her to look so bad because when the door opened, and the street lamps lit up the dark to illuminate the wound in her neck and the bruise on her jaw, his face fell into shock and he could only stare.

"What in the hell did he do?" he whispered. His eyes flickered up to meet Janes, and she offered a helpless smile.

"Help me in the back."

That snapped him out and he grabbed her, supporting her full weight as she suddenly found she had no strength in her legs. When the pain sunk deeper into her body she clutched onto her brother, crying into his jacket and trembling.

"We need to get to a hospital." Justin grunted, trying to be gentle as he helped her into the back seat.

"No, no." she gasped. "He's coming, he's fucking furious Justin. He's done messing around and I'm not waiting to see what happens." Her back contorted as the seething pain interrupted her train of thought. Through gritted teeth, she tried to continue. "It feels like my body is fighting whatever he's done to me. He said something about marking me, Justin. Fuck that, we need to go. Did you get the first aid kit?"

Teddy's hand shot out, holding the small container. "I can help you Jane." His voice was small, scared.

"I think I need it buddy." She laughed, or tried to, but started screaming instead.

She'd never been more thankful for Justin then when he shut the door and hopped into the driver's seat. A moment later the car was lurching forward and she could see Teddy's small face above hers. Voices became faint. She heard Justin shouting instructions to teddy. Something about cleaning it, stopping the bleeding.

But that world faded away, and instead she drifted toward a black place, a soundless place. In there, just like in her dreams, warm, wide arms embraced her and the smell of the forest encompassed her entire being. In this dark place, everything was alright.