Run To Ground

By Darcy Abriel

Tallin Undine was once human, but is now a wuv-beast, a creature of the Zhalazti clan, ruled by the moon, and made through moon-madness and savagery. With his human family slaughtered, Tallin continually struggles to hold on to some bit of his humanity. After being scarred by a former lover, Tallin has clawed his way to some measure of standing. But now, his clan chief has been killed, and the security of his adoptive nation is at risk. His mission is to bring back the man who must battle to claim his position as rightful chief. Yet there's one problem—Emmanuel Grimshaw is the very man Tallin does not want to see again, who savagely mated him so long ago, then left him to pick up the pieces of his life.

When he was too young to fully control his inner-beast, Emmanuel Grimshaw claimed—and maimed—a man he loved. After fleeing his clan, he'd gone in search of his humanity, and a way to tame the wuv within. But when Tallin unexpectedly arrives, any peace Emmanuel thought he'd found with a human companion vanishes. And it isn't long before Emmanuel's inner-beast rises and he reclaims Tallin, binding him once again.

Now, Emmanuel will do his duty, but not without Tallin at his side. A battle for survival and love is about to begin. Who will triumph?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dream Romantic Unlimited LLC
• Release date: Jan 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386705499

Darcy Abriel

Being a Cancer, Darcy Abriel always has been fond of deep, dark places. She’s enjoyed ghost stories and things that go bump in the night since she could first read. When she was in high school, she and her rock band boyfriend and his buddies from the band once spent a weekend in her basement with the Ouija Board contacting a revolutionary war ghost. She’s loved monster movies from an early age, and she’s used to odd looks from people. Facing demons, inner and outer, is one of the things Darcy enjoys most when it comes to writing stories. She calls her office, “the cave” and doesn’t always play well with others. Bu she tries.Darcy loves digging in and creating worlds wicked, and characters dangerous. Dark fantasy and dark erotica, breaking boundaries in genre and gender, blending angels and castrati, demons and gods, humans and succubi. You think you know who the hero is, but do you really? Whether it’s a succubus in “Deadeye,” the Viadine and Diadune in “Nightingale,” a contemporary troubled hero in “Cruel Memories,” or a steampunk dystopian intersexed world like Quentopolis, there’s nothing simple about these stories or the characters. How the heck do you mix gods and cowboys, pirates and zombies, and a whole range of other odd pairings? As far as Darcy’s concerned, the darker the better, the more complex, the more fun. Redemption takes many forms for Darcy’s characters. Take an idea, twist it, mold it, break it apart, and drive that stake even deeper into the quagmire. Spank it, whip it, stroke it, tease it, soothe it, romance it to death.You say it can’t be done? Here that naughty chuckle? That’s Darcy saying, “maybe...maybe not. Let me think about that for a minute. Muse mine, what do you think? Can we rock it hard?” Oh, yeah. Let’s play. Where’s my stash of strawberry Twizzlers, and the peacock blue ink for my fountain pen, the notebooks, the Tarot cards? Let’s do this.

Book preview

Tallin Undine was once human, but is now a wuv-beast, a creature of the Zhalazti clan, ruled by the moon, and made through moon-madness and savagery. With his human family slaughtered, Tallin continually struggles to hold on to some bit of his humanity. After being scarred by a former lover, Tallin has clawed his way to some measure of standing. But now, his clan chief has been killed, and the security of his adoptive nation is at risk. His mission is to bring back the man who must battle to claim his position as rightful chief. Yet there’s one problem—Emmanuel Grimshaw is the very man Tallin does not want to see again, who savagely mated him so long ago, then left him to pick up the pieces of his life.

When he was too young to fully control his inner-beast, Emmanuel Grimshaw claimed—and maimed—a man he loved. After fleeing his clan, he’d gone in search of his humanity, and a way to tame the wuv within. But when Tallin unexpectedly arrives, any peace Emmanuel thought he’d found with a human companion vanishes. And it isn’t long before Emmanuel’s inner-beast rises and he reclaims Tallin, binding him once again.

Now, Emmanuel will do his duty, but not without Tallin at his side. A battle for survival and love is about to begin. Who will triumph?

This story is a work of original fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

This book remains the copyrighted property of the author.

Copyright 2018 by Darcy Abriel

Cover Art Designs by T. A. Gallup

This story was originally released in September, 2012, by Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure

CAUTION: This story contains explicit sexual situations and strong language. You must be over the age of 18 years of age to read this story.

Run To Ground

By Darcy Abriel

Dream Romantic Unlimited, LLC

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

NETWORKING LINKS

CHAPTER ONE

TALLIN STOOD BEFORE the pylon marker with the visage of the sky-god Antu etched into the stone, marking safe passage for any descendant of the Zhalazti inheritors—the wuv-beast Natsia. The Zhalazti was Tallin’s adopted nation by virtue of a savage Lunaria hunt so many years ago. He was claimed and remade a rikochetji—moon-mad dogman—and his human blood parents slaughtered. More than fifty years had passed since that night—a drop in the chasm of time for the Zhalazti, and Tallin could barely recall his murdered human kin. He wished he could remember them—their images helped him to retain some element of his humanity. He ran a gloved hand over the ragged scars across his breast bone—the Lunaria mark that had made him. The scars on the left side of his face, the eye patch—they were another story—one that involved the viciousness of a rite of passage for those of noble Lunaria blood inheritance, descendants of Antu and his first consort, Anu. That did not include him. He was not Zhalazti by ancestor; he was riko. A lesser beast among them—and fair game for young wuv-beasts in search of their first bonding with the animal inside.

Tonight the sky spoke of shadows, long and deep. Gray clouds, hovering like great bats in the sky, flitted across the bright full moon. A good night for hunting. The craving of his animal clawed beneath the surface of his skin. It wanted to rouse, it was ravenous, but Tallin forced it back.

He glanced up at the shadowed outline of the ancient castle fortress, the stronghold of the current Zhalazti regent, and the Castle Machecoul count in residence, the insidious Count Ives de Laval. The Zhalazti had for centuries enjoyed the protection offered by the count in residence. But this one, he used the Zhalazti for his own twisted purposes.

It was rumored that de Laval was the descendant of a bloody villainous and insane mass murderer—Gilles de Laval, Machecoul de Ritz. Long dead, but his horrors perpetrated on children had never been forgotten. The lands were truly haunted by the ghosts of man and thus provided one of the few relatively safe boundaries for the Zhalazti.

Tallin heard the rustle of movement behind him. He did not turn to look—he could smell her scent—blood of a wuv full-born, herbs of her witchery, a sensual musky perfume pervaded the air. The sound of tinkling bells and jangling bracelets met his hearing.

Why have you brought me here, Shiri? I have other duties.

"Do those duties involve the call of your animal, chiki? The moon is heavy and full tonight," Shiri said as she stepped into the roadside clearing.

So it is. What’s the urgency.

Can you not gaze upon your mother? Am I so repulsive?

Slowly Tallin turned to face her. Slight, dark-complexioned, her eyes bright, and ancient beyond Tallin’s years, she still looked the age of youth. Her eyes were lined darkly, and the scarlet satin skirt she wore fell along narrow hips to her ankles and was embroidered in gold, covered in sequins, hemmed in tiny bells and coins. Her necklaces of yellow and red, bearing more gold coins, decorated her slender neck, and draped long over small, rounded breasts. The rich blue velvet cloak edged in gold fringe, a gift from a gadji paramour, hung about her narrow shoulders. A matching blue kerchief confined her long lustrous black hair. Small, delicate, bewitching would have been words to describe her if Tallin hadn’t known the truth of her.

The bangles and bells jingled as she drew closer to Tallin.

I know what it is to be an outcast. You feel it stronger than usual tonight, she said in her soft, husky voice.

Stop trying to read me, witch. You are blooded Zhalazti; I am a thing possessed. There’s a great difference between us. When was the last time you gave in to your wuv-beast?

You know the answer to that. He no longer seeks me out. When I took you for my own; my wuv has not called loudly since then.

"You still fashion your own truth, trying to bring guilt down on my shoulders. We both know your tongue for the lie it tells. It was your gadji lover who cut off your balls that maimed the beast inside you. I had no hand in it. I was simply the consolation prize because the clans needed you alive with your witchy foretelling gifts."

Shiri’s eyes blazed, but she turned away, masking her thoughts from Tallin. Tallin knew that beneath the feminine exterior of beauty resided the body of a man. True, a man who preferred to live as a woman, and always had. It was that form of impersonation that had killed Shiri’s wuv, certainly not the wounded orphan human boy she had taken in. Tallin would not accept the blame nor the guilt of that act. But it was also true that Shiri had acted as foster mother to a human boy possessed by a beast fashioned of moon-madness and bonded with his blood. It was Shiri who had provided instruction that kept him alive. There must be some measure of thanks he supposed for that gift alone. Yet tonight Tallin could find little softening in his heart to give.

"The elders council of eight has met. They have appointed Tato as regent pending Emmanuel’s return. Now that Hirmes has been killed, the position of vaido of our kumpani is vacant, it is necessary for his closest kin to return to claim the chief’s position. Emmanuel is next in line."

Tallin laughed bitterly. You are so certain it was murder. Emmanuel will never return. You know that. He has gone to find an answer to the question that has no solution.

He blames himself for what happened.

Tallin’s blinded eye beneath the patch itched, the scars on his face stretched tight, reminding him all too well of that night. And he can’t bear to look at me because of it.

It is no longer of consequence. You must find him. You must bring him back.

Why me? What is the urgency?

The marriage broker came to see me. No one knows yet. She has taken me into her confidence over a certain matter.

Why you? Tallin asked with some measure of suspicion tingeing his words.

Times are desperate and she knows I’m the only one who can help.

Tallin’s instincts were alerted to danger. What has happened and what does it have to do with me?

Izabella has come of marriageable age.

And so?

With Emmanuel away, and her guardian dead, there is no one to speak for her, nor to protect her. No one to offer bride price for a good marriage. I have been told that Tato has stolen the bride price that Hirmes was keeping for her, and he refuses to return it. She has no one else to fight for her. Tato is now regent, and Izabella is vulnerable.

Tallin felt he knew what was coming. And there was no help for it. Tato wants her.

That might be easier to circumvent. No. It was the count who backed Tato for the regency. And those gullible mouse-couraged men—who of them would stand up to the count when their own livelihood is in the balance? So easy it is for them to sacrifice another. No, it’s the count who covets Izabella and means to have her as tribute for his support of Tato’s bid. You know what that means.

An end to Emmanuel’s bloodline.

And torture, rape, and death for Izabella.

He had watched Izabella grow into a beautiful young woman, almost a match to her noble twin brother, Emmanuel. He considered the stories about the horrors contained in the castle stronghold. So many of