Chapter One

Sage pulled her coat closer making sure her ears and mouth were covered as she slumped down in the seat. The Greyhound was going back to Pittsburgh, the last place she wanted to be.

A shiver walked down her spine making her turn her head to the right before looking down the aisle. Wrapping her arms around herself, she slid even further down in her seat. She had been running for months with Jim, and his friends… minions… freaking animals dogging her steps. It didn’t matter what she did or how far she ran they kept getting closer, blocking off her escape routes. She had no other choice but to come back to where it all began.

He was going to kill her, and she knew it. Like a helpless fly, she dove headfirst into the spider’s web. She had started to think that people like her didn’t deserve to live. It went through her head like a mantra, but it wasn’t her voice. She felt invaded, violated, but there was nothing she could do.

She took her fist and began to pound on her head trying to stop the voice. She couldn’t ignore it. It wanted her dead; they wanted her dead. There were times she was sure it was just one voice, but at other times she knew there were several voices. She closed her eyes trying to get a few minutes of peace, but the symbol that haunted her dreams swam before her eyes. Did it have a name? She didn’t know, but whatever it was it meant death. Her eyes opened just in time to see the bus pull into the terminal.

Now was the reckoning, will she live another night or will Jim win?

She rubbed the sweat off her forehead. How could it be so hot on the bus when it was freezing outside? She shivered again this time because she didn’t feel well. She pressed her shoulders against the seat as she told herself to get it together. The only thing she could think about was trying to make it through the night.

She had called Fire to ask her to come meet her. Fire wasn’t a friend, not really. There was something about her that pulled Sage in her direction and it repulsed her at the same time. For a while, she had wondered if she was sexually attracted to her. That would make sense she reasoned. If she were attracted to her, that would draw her in, but since she was straight, she would be upset at herself. It didn’t take long to figure out that wasn’t the case.

She was as attracted to Fire as she was to Jim. Which meant not at all. All she felt for Jim was a coldness that circled her body and wouldn’t let her alone. The last time she made love to him. Was she still calling it making love? She felt like she had been invaded by an ice pick. When he was done with her, she was torn up on the inside.

Her gynecologist threatened to call the cops when she examined her. How long had that been? She was sure he would kill her the next time he invaded her body. How could she say no to someone his size? Fortunately for her, he seemed to have no more interest in her sexually until the night she ran away.

His interest hadn’t really been sexual. She was to be the sacrifice. Her mind shied away from the certain death she escaped that night. Seemed like everything came around again and this time there would be no escaping.

Unless Fire keeps her word, and she comes for us.

She beat against her head a little harder. What was this voice in her head? She never heard it when she was younger. It started talking a little over a year ago. She woke up one day, and a voice greeted her. It said it was sleeping and was so happy to finally wake up. Then it made up insane stories and told them to her. The one thing she had to say about the voice was that it kept her entertained. Lately, other voices had joined the original voice.

It was enough to let her know she wasn’t normal. She stood and pulled her bag down from the overhead compartment. One look around the bus confirmed that she was the last person to get off. She couldn’t stall any longer, she placed the bag over her head and shoulder and walked towards the front of the bus.

The beat of her heart almost drowned out the noise around her. He had his minions somewhere in the terminal. They would come after her, and there would be nothing she could do.

Every thought told her to run, but they would chase. Instead, she went to the side of the bus and retrieved her single bag before walking into the bus station. Two men walked up to her on either side. They placed their hands on her as if they were old friends. Jim’s minions, her body shook as she stood frozen in place.

They weren’t human; she didn’t know how she knew that. It was impossible not to be human, but they weren’t. The look in their eyes said she would be dying tonight and they would enjoy every minute.

“Excuse me.”

The feminine voice of a Greyhound employee pulled her out of her shock.

“Hi, are you, Sage Stewart?”

She nodded her head unable to speak as fear choked her words.

“I need you to come up to the information desk with me.”

The hands on her arms tightened. She could feel their nails digging into her skin through the heavy coat she was wearing.

“We were just leaving.” One of the males said. His voice was rusty as if it were something he didn’t use.

“I’m sorry to cause you any inconvenience, but we will need to speak with Ms. Stewart before she can leave the station. If you have a problem with that, I can ask our security to come and escort her.”

They looked at each other as if they weren’t told what to do if this problem arose. They let her go and prepared to follow her.

“I’m sorry this is private. You can wait in those seats.” She indicated the seats that friends and family sat in as they waited for their loved ones to come. “She will be back shortly.”

“Thank you for your patience.” She led Sage away even as the two minions stared after her.

The woman she was following didn’t say a word making the tension she felt skyrocket.

“You need to report to that booth.” She pointed to the first booth that looked empty.

Sage nodded and slowly walked towards it. It was like walking the plank. You read to many pirate romances, she told herself.

I liked the one with the pirate with the golden hair and the trim body. Yummy.

He wasn’t right. He needs to thicker for us. We like lots of muscles and dark-haired males.

Since when does the alien get to tell us what we like?

Shut up all of you. Our life is in danger, and you’re talking about men we’ll never meet. If I survive this, I’m becoming celibate.

The voices in her head groaned, but she meant every word. She got to the first booth and leaned in looking for whoever wanted to see her.

“Hello?”

“Sage.”

She took a step back. There was a whispered voice but no body to go with it, and then Fire stepped out of the shadows.

“Fire you scared me.”

“Sorry, I needed to stay hidden until you showed up. Are you ready to go?”

“I can’t they are here, waiting for me. Save yourself, before Jim finds out you were helping me.”

“Are you talking about those two men who are being taken away by the police?”

She turned her head to find them in handcuffs. They were taking them out a different door so they wouldn’t come close to her.

“How… Why? What’s happening?”

“I’m taking you somewhere safe like I promised.”

“Listen to me, there is nowhere safe from Jim. I don’t want to get you hurt or killed. You have to let me go.”

“He will kill you.”

“I know, but everyone else will be safe.”

“The life of the one versus the life of the many. I’m not a good Alpha because I won’t play that game with the people I love. Let’s get out of here.”

She felt a tear try to escape her eye, but she blinked fast. No one had cared enough about her to say her life was just as important as the life next to hers.

She followed Fire out into the dark parking lot.

“There’s a couple of things you need to know Sage. My mate is here with us. You can’t see him because he can blend in with his surroundings. I just don’t want to spook you when he appears.”

“Where’s he at?”

“I’m here.”

Her suitcase fell from her nervous fingers. He was huge at least seven feet. That’s not why she dropped her bag. He was gorgeous, the kind of male that the alien in her head always talked about. The kind of male she wished she had met and not Jim.

“Hi.”

“Hi Sage, I’m glad to meet you.”

“I’m glad to meet you.”

He reached down and picked up her bag placing it in the trunk.

“Get in we need to leave.”

She opened the back door then stopped as a strange sound made her shake in her boots.

“What’s that?”

“I don’t know, get in Sage.”

Fires voice sounded so calm, but underneath it, she could hear worry and strain. She hurried to get into the car slamming the door behind her. There was a crash against her door making the whole car shake.

Something hit the car door again. The desire to pull her coat up and pretend she was dreaming rode her hard, but she had to save Fire and her mate. They hadn’t signed up for this. Her hand reached for the handle before Fire was gripping her hard.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting out. Whatever it is, wants me. I will not put your life in danger.”

“Listen Sage, whatever is trying to destroy our car now wants us all. Your stepping outside would be foolish, it will kill you and come back for Declyn and me.”

She nodded not sure if she was doing the right thing or taking the cowards way out. The car swayed again almost going up on two wheels.

“Leave us alone,” she shouted the words trying to get stuck in her throat as fear pleaded with her to run.

“Wolf?” Fire turned to look at him.

“I’ll take care of this calm your friend.”

“I’ve got her.”

“Sage, Declyn’s going to deal with whatever it trying to attack the car I need you to calm down.”

“Do you believe in aliens?”

Fire looked into Sage’s green eyes. She was scared whatever answer she gave her wasn’t going to calm her down.

“I do. There are aliens throughout the galaxy’s, and I believe that there are aliens on our planet.”

She nodded her head fast as she looked out the window. The moon was behind the trees or more likely a building since this was the city. Wherever it was hiding, she couldn’t see anything because it had taken its light away.

“Whatever is out there is alien, and your guy is trying to confront it on his own. That’s a death sentence.”

Her eyes got big as she watched a shadow step out of the darkness and take the shape of a man. It reached out hitting Declyn in the chest making him fly backward.

There was a growl before Declyn stood his form starting to change growing bigger.

‘Please be a dream,’ Sage kept repeating to herself as she watched Declyn run his claws over the shadows chest. It gave a god-awful screech making her place her hands over her ears.

What was happening here? Was Fire’s guy a monster too? If so who would win and who would kill her?

Fire dropped Sage’s hand and bent down to pick up a flashlight from the floor. Turning it on she shined it out the window.

Sage ducked in the car to try and avoid the light. The shadow monster screeched and fled. She looked up just in time to see Declyn become a man again.

“Do you like my mini sun?”

“Mini sun?”

“Yeah, I had one of my guys make it for me. It finally came in handy. I was tired of going places where I couldn’t see, but everyone else could see in the dark.”

“See in the dark, right.” She laid her head against the back seat closing her eyes. Had she left the pan only to burn in the fire?