Preface





The others were near. He could smell them, mortal men, hunting him. The stench of their hunger clung to their skins. At one time, he would have called them friend, perhaps even lover, but now they were the enemy, chasing him through the trees, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.



How had his life come to this? A leader among his people, a prophet, guardian and protector; how had he become the prey? He couldn't remember anymore. He knew only fire and pain, the Betrayer's scent clinging to the inside of his nostrils, burning into his soul so he would never forget.



Never ever forget his life was over, thanks to one traitor; someone who he never expected to betray him.



One of his own.



The humans gained ground, and he began to tire. He could practically feel the heat of their torches against his back. The scent of their sweat, stale and bitter, overlapping the once joyous and soothing aroma of the lush forest around them. Gleeful shouts echoed in the wood and all others dwellers were silent; each small animal hiding deep in their burrows, laying silent witness to his last desperate flight.



He knew the woods, deep in his soul he recognized his little earth sister, but his mind went blank. Everything he rushed past, each tree and shrub, every flora and fauna, had at one time been familiar to him. Now everything he saw swirled together in a mash of greens and browns, nothing distinct or unique. He didn't even know his name anymore, only the fact he had once been a man of great importance, and that he had been betrayed by someone he should have been able to trust.



Everything else had vanished.



He'd woken in an unknown clearing, his mind a daze as pain and confusion racked his body. How had he gotten to the middle of the forest? What had happened?



He lifted a hand to his aching head, only to find his hair matted with blood; little drops dripping down the back of his neck. His tongue felt thick and uncoordinated in his mouth, making swallowing seem impossible. The cool night air drifted across his naked skin, leaving him shivering without his clothes and boots. A scent covered him, one he instinctively knew belonged to the person responsible for his unfortunate circumstances, and he growled in fear and anger.



Shouts suddenly filled the air and a half-dozen men raced into the clearing, torches lighting the glade and glinting off dangerous weapons. He could smell the aggression, hate, and fear clinging to their unwashed bodies, and shuddered visibly at the sight of the vermin wriggling in their ratted and matted beards.



He didn't stick around to find out why they were after him. Instead, he ran.



Over rocks and roots. Through bushes and over small streams. A desperate flight to a safer place, one just out of reach of his conscious mind. If he could get a little further, evade his hunters a bit longer, he would be free.



It wasn't meant to be.



He tripped over an unseen root, landing with a pained grunt on the forest floor, leaves and twigs poking the sensitive skin along his front. He tried to get up, to run again, but something large and heavy landed on his back. The stench of his pursuers overwhelmed him; he couldn't get up, trapped and caught.



But he wouldn't go without a fight.



He bucked up, managing to unsettle the man on his back, and then turned over to slash at him with his claws. Fear and desperation fueled him and he racked across the man's face, something primal and angry rejoicing in the bleeding man's screams. He stood, slashing at another, then another, growling and snarling at them, jerking back from the torches thrust in his direction.



Kill, kill, kill. His mind became a haze of aggression, an inner animal bursting forth. Kill, kill, kill!



"He's shifting!" A flurry of movement followed the hollered warning.



Something thick and wooden slammed into his back, possibly a tree branch, stunning him for a moment, only for a short while but enough for the others to act. Something cracked, sudden and loud, leaving a burning trail of fire blossoming on his side. Another loud sound split the air, this one right on center, causing him to double over with a howl as fire seemed to bloom and spread from his midsection upward to his chest and down toward his feet, leaving him numb.



He fell, body twitching, as another object slammed into him, pain blossoming in his shoulder. His body felt heavy, the world becoming disorientated and blurry around him. He fell like a tree to the forest floor, not even able to cry out in agony as the numbness robbed him of speech.



Dark shapes moving around him, circling like a pack of wolves. He tried to get up and defend himself, but his strength continued to wane and he couldn't raise his head off the ground, let alone fight off his attackers. As his world started to go dark, he heard one of the hunters speak, and sent a silent prayer to whatever unknown god may be listening.



"The boss wants him gone. Let's get him tied up and back to the city…"







Part I:



The City and The Beast







Chapter 1



Raine O'Kelly walked quickly through the crowded streets, ignoring the various other people milling about, determined to make it into his building before the patrols started making their nightly sweeps. He moved quickly, yet carefully, through the crowds, making sure to keep his satchel as steady as possible. He'd rather turn himself over to the Guard before he damaged the precious items inside his bag.



The cool gray sky matched the tall metal skyscrapers and cold stone streets. Even the clothing was drab and colorless inside the City. There were no colors, no trees, grass or flowers; not even the sun would dare shine down on the doomed citizens of the City.



Once considered a great metropolis, the founding fathers designed the City to keep the people safe. Completely covered by a large opaque dome, the City carefully cut off everyone from the rest of the world. Only the Hunters and the Guard could venture beyond the Dome; average citizens like Raine would never see the Outside. He had to content himself with his books filled with stories of trees, flowers, and water running from something called a stream.



The government liked to claim nothing existed on the Outside. The dome was there to protect its citizens from the nothingness and uninhabited space beyond it. The propaganda, drummed into the heads of every man, woman, and child each day, became accepted fact. But Raine knew the lies couldn't be true. The proof currently sat in his satchel, waiting to make their way into his building and safety.



The Outside had to be real.



At twenty-one, Raine had never been anywhere other than the City, one of the coldest, most sterile environments anyone could ever live in. The government controlled its people with an iron fist, even down to the smallest babe. Everything cost credits, from a ride on the public transit system to a simple glass of water. Nothing was free.



No one was free in the City.



Raine should know. His father, a powerful government figure, had beaten the lesson into him many a time.