I awoke with a grunt as my side was kicked. I coughed trying to take in air as I was assaulted with hands and fists. I was still dizzy from the poison and something was throwing my senses off. Water was thrown in my face and I sputtered, far more awake. I was in a dark room, tied by silver metal that burned as it rubbed against my skin. Someone smacked me in the face while another person laughed.

“Noticed it yet monster?” goaded a blond, green-eyed man. He was fairly built and wore a brown shirt and leather pants that hosted a bunch of whips and goodies on a holster around his waist. He had a mermaid tattoo on his bicep that said Poppey’s Girl. I wasn’t sure what he meant. If he was stating the fact that I had his rancid ass torturing me and doing a piss poor job of it, then yeah I noticed. I pulled on the cuffs but they didn’t break.

“Ahh noticing it now! Ya got nowhere to go. Other than that one redhead you got no friends in your corner either,” he taunted.

My eyes widened. I felt that familiar rush run through me and I became stronger than I had been. “Gabriella?” I whispered before snapping the cuffs like toothpicks and grabbing the man by the neck. “What did you do to her? Where am I? SPEAK!”

He squealed. “June! June! He Free! JUNE!”

An electric current ran through me and I dropped the man who scurried behind the woman that appeared sneering. She too had blond hair but she had blue eyes and a big physique. She wore ARMY BDUs and black boots. She also carried a black controller which she aimed at me.

I growled and she sneered some more raising the dial higher. My whole body spasmed. My muscles bunched and released due to the electricity. I groaned as the electricity was cut.

“Enough! The council wants him alive for his trial,” said Tarric’s smooth baritone. I’d recognize that coward anywhere. I was still spasming on the floor to do anything about the foot that was placed on my neck crushing my airways. My hands went to the foot but I was shocked every time I moved to remove the foot.

“C-Cowards!” I cried feeling spots dance before my vision.

I heard Tarric say. “Oh how the tide has changed, monster. Take him away. Reynolds and the rest are waiting.”

Stolen novel; please report.

A bag was situated over my head and new cuffs were placed on my wrists. “Try to take these off!” said the tattooed male. I knew it was him by the Scottish lilt to his voice when he screamed for tank lady. I tested the cuffs and was shocked for my efforts. What in hell was producing those electric shocks? I didn’t have time to search, as I was dragged from my cell to what I assumed was the lobby.

I heard people shout ‘Kill the monster’ and ‘to protect them from the monster’. I could attest that the monsters were them! They were behaving as if I had wronged them by what? Existing? That’s all I had done and I hadn’t chosen to be a hybrid. If there was a way back I would take it but…there wasn’t.

I was led blindly to a seat and bolted into it. The bag was removed from my head and I was shoved face-first in the foulest-smelling thing ever. It smelled like a freshly decomposing body and chocolate. Those two things did not go together and I gagged. I wasn’t the only one.

“Get that foul-smelling concoction out of this room!” yelled Reynolds as he waved his hands about. Wanda was trying not to faint while Viviana gagged. Cho remained unmoved but there was a glint in her eyes that spelled disaster to whoever came too close. Machi as always was missing.

“But the monster will gain movement if we let up on the Houl’s bane,” said Tarric. I really felt like eating him. His only saving grace was his sister was Gabriella and I didn’t want to hurt the one human in my corner. Still, I bared my fangs at him which made the coward light another of those things and stuff my face inside it. I gagged again.

“Enough! The defendant needs to be able to defend his name and unlike some I trust him,” said Reynolds as he pointed two guards to put out the foul-smelling things.

“I wouldn’t,” said Tarric as I was let go and the foul-smelling rag was lifted from my face.

“Thank you,” I muttered taking in a deep breath. It still smelled terrible but some fresh air was better than what I had before. I glanced at Reynolds who was reading my patent. He hmmed and sighed.

“Who put this trial together it’s nonsense! As far as I can tell the defendant was in the right of things,” he said shocking Tarric.

“But he bit my sister!” he cried.

“On a finger! He didn’t even bite her hard from what her statement said. She wrote: Taking blood for a diabetic test hurts more.”

The council laughed.

“Let Matt go,” he said ordering a guard to undo my cuffs. I waited patiently for them to undo the cuffs before turning in my cell and glaring at a frightened Tarric.

“Open the cell, moron”

“Don’t hurt me and I will,” he nearly pleaded.

I sighed and nodded. “For Gabriella’s sake, I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

My cell was opened and I slipped through. Tarric ran, inducing the predator instincts within me. I could feel my eyes changing and my teeth elongating in my mouth. I grit my teeth and turned to come face to face with Gabriella.

“That’s a scary face. What did Tarric do now?” she asked.

I smirked. “He started a dangerous game.”

Gabriella scoffed. “He’s a damn coward, probably did so unknowingly. Don’t eat him. He’ll give you indigestion.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. What are you doing here?”

“Making sure my brother didn’t falsify my statement. He’s capable of anything if he thinks he’s protecting me.”

“Hmm. I take it he’s a good brother.”

Gabriella nodded. “The best.”

I rethought my hunt and pushed my instincts down. Tarric would get to see another day. I followed Gabriella out of the council room and to the mess hall noticing how people talked behind my back about me. Being back would not be easy.