I Am Therian

A Wulf R M

Description

Mina Michaels wakes up at Clandestine Arts Academy only to realise it's a place she's all too familiar with but not what the brochure makes it out to be. Persuaded to enrol, she learns this place holds the key to her forgotten past. Enthralled by a world of spirit walkers, royals and alphas, her journey becomes a race against time to unleash her inner spirit and bring calm to a world breaking out in chaos whilst in the midst of finding true love. You too can join the main protagonist in escaping reality to discover the mysterious world that exists parallel to the one you know.

Sujets

• Science fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Date de parution: 31 janvier 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528947503
• Langue: English

Extrait

I Am Therian
R M A Wulf
Austin Macauley Publishers
2019-01-31
I Am Therian About the Author Dedication Copyright Information Acknowledgements Chapter One Jesse’s POV Chapter Two Tyler’s POV Chapter Three River’s POV Chapter Four Nathaniel’s POV Chapter Five Leo’s POV Chapter Six Tyler’s POV Chapter Seven Leo’s POV Chapter Eight Clay’s POV Chapter Nine Clay’s POV Chapter Ten Tyler’s POV Chapter Eleven Tyler’s POV Chapter Twelve Clay’s POV Chapter Thirteen Bloodmoon’s POV Chapter Fourteen Cairo’s POV Chapter Fifteen Tyler’s POV Chapter Sixteen Clay’s POV Chapter Seventeen Tyler’s POV Chapter Eighteen Clay’s POV
About the Author
R M A Wulf enters the world of published books with a story that pivots on themes of shape-shifting, empowerment of women and cultural diversity. Having worked with young people most of her life, she’s had the opportunity to cross paths with people of all backgrounds and walks of life. This has helped her forge some great relationships with friends and family whilst appreciating her roots, growing up in a dual culture. Wulf’s life experiences provide the inspiration for writing her debut piece that has characters battling friendship, loyalty and their conscience in a world overrun by entitled privilege.
Dedication
For you, set your soul free!
Copyright Information
Copyright © R M A Wulf (2019)
The right of R M A Wulf to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528907125 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781528907132 (Hardback)
ISBN 9781528947503 (E-Book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2019)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Acknowledgements
To my lovely mother, the honest voice of both doubt and reason, I did it! Please read it now. To my partner-in-crime Ruby A River for being as excited about the characters as I have been, for believing in the story I wanted to tell and being the first to read the manuscript and informing me the romance needed more depth. My ‘idiot’ best friend for pushing me to pursue this dream as though it were his own and being with me at every step of this adventure. To my three outrageously sarcastic and witty brothers, my sister-in-law and to the two little humans who have stolen my heart completely, Ayaana Skye and Isaiah. To M Scott; to Janet R, my dear friend who has confidence in my ability to achieve anything my heart desired; to Rimsha, Heather and Junaid; to my favourite K-Pop idol group; and finally to all the staff at Austin Macauley who helped my dream become a reality.
* * *
Chapter One
My pale blue dress was torn to shreds; my bare feet and legs were battered with cuts and bruises. Running through the trees I focused on the urgency in his voice.
“Please Mina, keep running. Don’t look back, don’t turn around, don’t get caught. Run!” The voice rang loud in my ears.
Uneven shallow breaths escaped my lips as I took a tumble, stopping myself at the edge of a cliff, and it dawned on me that I have nowhere to go.
“Nowhere to run now, little miss, no one to save you,” shouted one, followed by howls of laughter. My eyes streamed and I realised I may not see him again; that thought alone was scarier than any death coming for me. I saw the glint of metal as one of the men charged towards me, and closing my eyes, I prepared myself for the worst. Instead, I ended up being tackled to the ground from a different direction, the air knocked out of me.
“I’ve got you, don’t worry.”
I opened my eyes and couldn’t stop my heart from smiling, his piercing red eyes scorched my soul, as he spluttered blood before leaping over the edge of the cliff, taking me with him…
Jumping up in a cold sweat, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. They finally landed on my best friend’s face. He was asleep in a chair next to my bed, his large frame looking cramped and uncomfortable in the space it was in. I instantly recalled the last few weeks. I was taking time out from my boyfriend and I had to leave my job due to the onset of stress that led to me fainting at random moments.
Jesse McGuire and I had been together for almost three years on and off. It was a chaotic relationship, but I kept taking him back because I blindly loved him. He was meant to be the guy I was to spend the rest of my life with. Jesse wasn’t good with words. He generally struggled to tell people what he thought and felt, but he tried to be open with me. He let me in and showed me a side of him that was well hidden behind his macho, funny guy persona, and that’s why I fell for him. We both struggled to connect to others, him emotionally and me physically.
I thought we balanced each other out.
I met Jesse through Clay (Alexander Clayton), my best friend and confidante. We both worked at an arts studio, me behind reception and him as an artist. Jesse wasn’t the first person I met from Clay’s group and we didn’t click right away; to be frank, I couldn’t really stand him. He was boisterous and self-absorbed while I was shy and reserved.
Clay looked out for me like an older brother and we became close right away. He always tried to make sure I was okay. We have an inside joke that he’s my ‘shield’, as he protects me from everything, whether it be an insect or a boy.
When I met Clay, I had woken up from a coma. I couldn’t remember anything but distorted images. When he heard all this, he changed and used it as an excuse to be overly protective. He was always pointing out how naive I truly was. He had always warned me about his friends, making it a habit to tell me not to ‘trust boys’, even him.
I remember the night Jesse and I fell out. He had dropped me off across the road from my parents’ semidetached. The dark night was crisp and quiet. The streetlamps bounced off the sign for Victoria Crescent as I walked into the warmth of number seven and crept up to my room where Clay lay in wait.
“Where have you been?” his voice came out of nowhere, making me jump out of my skin.
“Sheesh Clay,” I almost cursed. I nudged him with as much power as I could muster, catching him off guard. He landed on his backside and sat glaring at me. He should have been grateful that he landed on a fluffy carpet and not on the wooden floorboards. I smirked and stuck my tongue out. I had made sure that my room was the essence of comfort, all vintage in style but warm and cosy.
“In the five years I’ve known you, Mina, you haven’t uttered a single curse word. I’m still trying my luck to push you over that edge,” he said, dusting off his backside.
“Uh huh, keep trying my love, you’ll get there one day,” I laughed.
“Who were you with at this time of night?” he asked, glancing at me. I knew he already knew the answer. I stayed silent; he didn’t need me to spell it out.
“You know, I’ve always tried to keep you from getting hurt, Mina. So, I’m just a bit mad right now ’cause you’re going to end up learning the hard way.” He looked deflated as he took a seat on the end of my bed and ran his hands through his hair.
“Clay, I’m a big girl. I know how to look after myself.” I tried to smile but the look in his eyes threw me.
“Have you ever looked at his phone or social media accounts, or are you just scared of what you’ll find? He’s my friend, but I know what kind of a piece of shit he really is. That’s why I’ve warned you time and time again. Do you think I want to watch your heart break? Every time I look at Jesse, I want to put his head through a wall. I’ve never felt like that before. Why do you make me feel like this?” He was angry; I’d never seen him angry before. Everyone suffers heartbreak, but he was going a bit over the top.
“I don’t question what you do with girls, Clay, why do you think you can question me?” Leaping from the bed, he was literally a centimetre from my face. I held my breath.
“I’m not questioning you; I’m just telling you, you deserve better! Why hasn’t he made you guys an official thing? Why doesn’t he show his affection for you in front of us? I may date a lot but I’m not an ass. The girls know I’m not looking for anything serious. But Jesse, he makes you feel like you’re the only one, but you’re just another notch he wants to add to his bed post, another girl he can throw away after he’s done with you. Don’t you get it?” My hand reacted; before I could stop myself, I felt the sting from the slap on my palm. How do I tell my best friend there’s something wrong with me, that I’m broken, and Jesse understands? I didn’t think Jesse would cheat on me, but can I blame him if he did? There were always seeds of doubt in my mind, but now Clay was forcing me to face them, and I was not ready.
Clay was left shaking as I tried to digest what he had said and the fact that I had just slapped my best friend. He wiped away the tears that had escaped, and that was my breaking point. I collapsed into his arms and cried.
I don’t know how long we’d been standing but my tears had subsided and I was aware of my phone buzzing.
Jesse. Clay stopped me.
“Don’t answer. He doesn’t deserve it.” Looking at my best friend I tried to smile, assuring him I’d be okay, as his ashy brown hair fell over his green eyes. His full lips tried to return my smile but were left incomplete. I noticed the dusting of stubble on his strong jawline, further adding to his masculinity.
When I first saw Clay, I remember being attracted to him, but he’d always had a flutter of girls around him. It was way to