Nightfall (The Huntsman Clan Book 1) Read online

  "Because I was adopted, but no one told us," I glare at him, for not understanding the obvious.

  "How cool is it that you're part of the royal family?" he replies awe struck.

  “See the boy understands what we are,” Kylah says smugly.

  "Not cool at all," I grumble.

  "Now children, focus," my mom chides.

  "What can we expect?" I ask nervously.

  "I don't really know. They could leave the whole thing alone, or..." Mom trails off.

  "Or what?" I squeak.

  "Or they could force you to return with them. It's within their rights," my dad finishes; his face bunched up in anger.

  "I won't go. They can't make me!" I scream.

  I feel a panic attack coming on. My chest is hurting, there’s a huge lump in my throat, and my stomach is churning. I feel like I can't breathe, and my face is starting to tingle. I can't stay here. I get up and run out the front door.

  "Amelia wait!" my mom screams. "Somebody go after her!"

  I don't listen. The only thought going through my head is to get away. I need to out-run the panic that is setting in. Everything passes by in a blur. I can't focus on my surroundings. I start to slow down and find I'm outside of town. Kylah is pacing back and forth wanting to run as badly as I do. I tell her it's ok and she explodes out of me, ripping my clothes to shreds.

  “Thank you sister,” she purrs.

  She has free rein and runs. We run through the woods until she feels better too then climb a tree to take a nap where it's safe.

  I startle awake. I'm back in my human form, naked, and stuck in a tree. My body falls forward and grab hold of the limb, screaming.

  "Amelia, where are you?" I hear someone scream.

  "Amelia, come home," my mom sobs.

  "I'm up here!" I yell back, scared.

  The alpha reaches the base of the tree first.

  "Up here," I screech, hanging on to the branch for dear life.

  "Your panther took over," he chuckled. "At least you took off away from people. Let go, and I'll catch you."

  I take a deep breath and let go, falling into the alpha's arms. My mom catches up and hands me a robe when my feet touch the ground.

  "We were so worried about you," she says quietly as she hugs me.

  "I'm sorry; I didn't know what to do," I reply, hanging my head ashamed.

  “Yes you did; that’s why we ran,” Kylah huffs, unimpressed.

  "You did the right thing. A panther stuck in a house is a dangerous thing," my dad explains. "We just didn't know how far you would go before we could catch you."

  “How do you get used to hearing a voice only you can hear?” I ask, confused why no one ever said anything about their bear speaking.

  “What do you mean?” Mom asks confused, looking at me with concern in her eyes.

  “Kylah talks a lot; I guess I just assumed your bear did as well,” I sigh, feeling even more different.

  “No my bear doesn’t have a name, and she is more of a feeling that talks to me. If we would have known you were a panther, we would have learned more about them for you,” Mom answers gently, not sure how to address my question. “Did your panther tell you her name was Kylah?”

  “Yes, that’s why I thought your animal spoke to you as well,” I bite my lip trying not to cry anymore.

  “We can ask the representative the Huntsman clan sent,” she answers, patting my hand.

  "Where am I?" I ask, confused, looking around finally.

  "You ran about thirty miles," the alpha chuckles. "The Huntsman representative is waiting back at the clan building so we better head back."

  "Do I have to go meet with him today? This is all happening so fast," I ask nervously, trying not to panic again.

  "You do, but we'll face this together," Mom assures me. “He might have answers we don’t.”

  "The car will be on the road, about half a mile that way," the alpha says, pointing to the east.

  "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble," I whisper as I hang my head.

  "This is nothing compared to other messes I've cleaned up. Come on cub, time to face the music," he teases, bumping me gently me with his huge frame.

  I walk quietly with the others, scared of what will happen once we reach the clan building. The Huntsman Clan is made up of the big cat races. There are four queens at all times. The lion, the tiger, the panther, and the leopard. There are lesser cats that belong to the clan, but all black panthers literally descend from royalty and are considered nobility.

  "Why would a noble give up their baby and lie about what kind of shifter they were? I mean, they knew when I turned sixteen the truth would come out," I wonder aloud.

  “To keep us alive,” Kylah whispers.

  "Maybe they hid the pregnancy because they were young. I'm sure the orphanage wouldn't have taken you if they had known you were a black panther," Mom tries to answer my question.

  "It still doesn't make sense. Now we're all dealing with the mess because of a little lie," I sigh, not understanding who I am anymore.

  “You’re the same as we’ve always been,” Kylah says.

  "I'm glad they lied. I love being your mom," Mom says sadly.

  "I love that you're my mom too. I'm sorry if I sound ungrateful, but this has all been confusing. I don't know who I am anymore," I respond quickly, feeling guilty for hurting her.

  "I know sweetie. You're taking this better than I would have," she chuckles, rubbing her arms to keep her hands busy.

  "Amanda and Tess said their parents wont let them talk to me anymore," I blurt out, tearing up at the loss.

  “We don’t need bears anyways,” Kylah snarls, upset that I’m upset.

  "I'll have a word with them," the alpha says; his eyes turning dark.

  "I don't want anyone getting in trouble over me," I reply quickly, regretting saying anything.

  "Little cub, only their own actions can get them in trouble," he chuckles; his eyes shining when he smiles.

  "Still, I feel like I'm tattling," I admit, looking down at my feet.

  "I'll talk to the clan as a whole," he responds with a grin.

  "Why are you being so nice to me?" I ask perplexed.

  "I was adopted too. I get what you're going through. I grew up with wolves," he winks and drops the conversation.

  My jaw drops. I would have never guessed he would have grown up with anyone but bears. I think on how difficult that would have been for him, not having anyone to understand what he's going through, then feel lucky to have him truly understand me. It must have been hard. I wonder how he ended up with bears.

  We make it to the car, and I sit in the middle between my parents. Mom is holding my hand, patting it non-stop. Dad has his arm around my back rubbing the arm farthest from his. Their actions have me even more worried than I was before. I can't help but think they know something I don't. I take deep breaths, trying to calm myself before my panther wants out again. I can feel her prowling just under the surface. She isn't happy about what is happening either.

  “We should just run. I don’t like being cooped up,” she growls.

  "Don't worry little cub; she can't come out unless I allow it right now," the alpha sets my mind to rest.

  "I was worried, thank you," I reply, sighing in relief.

  We ride the rest of the way in silence. My mind is running wild imagining the worst case scenarios. I can't imagine life away from my parents or my clan. I don't know enough about the Huntsman clan to know what they’ll do. All I know is they punish clans when they don't behave. We pull up to the clan building way too soon for my liking. My dad gets out, and I reluctantly follow him. We follow the alpha into one of the meeting rooms. There’s a tall, thin man sitting at the table. He's dressed in an expensive suit. His hair is a golden blonde, black eyes, and the hint of a beard growing.

  “He’s a leopard,” Kylah whispers.

  "Ah yes, I hope you enjoyed your run?" he smiles; his entire face lighting up.

  "Yes
, sir," I stumble over my words.

  “He’s good; we should like him,” Kylah purrs.

  "Relax, Amelia. This isn't an interrogation. We're just trying to understand how one of our own ended up here. My name is Jack LeDonne," he explains, flashing another smile.

  "Isn't it obvious? My mother gave me up and my real mom adopted me," I snark then cover my mouth.

  Jack laughs; his entire body shaking with it, "She's definitely one of ours."

  “You can be nicer to Jack, child,” I hear a male voice in my head.

  “Who are you?” I ask back mentally.

  “I am Jace, Jack’s leopard,” he purrs smoothly, Kylah purring back.

  "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be rude. My mom raised me better than that," I apologize, confused by everything going on.

  "It's perfectly ok. You've had a rough couple of days," he replies, giving a small grin. “I need you to shift now please.”

  “I don’t want to,” I whisper, not wanting to show him Kylah.

  "Since she refused, alpha, can you please force her shift?" Jack asks, giving me a sad look.

  “Jack says sorry, Amelia,” Jace whispers.

  "Sorry cub," Alpha says with sad eyes.

  I take the robe off and take a deep breath feeling my panther prowling at the surface. The pressure intensifies, and then I explode into panther form.

  “I wish he would quit doing that,” Kylah growls grooming herself.

  "She's a direct descendant of the royal line," Jack gasps, eyes wide in shock. "This changes everything!"

  “Please don’t be upset,” Jace says anxiously.

  "How can you tell?" my mom asks, rubbing her arms as if she’s cold.

  "See the lack of white on her body? Only the royal line has pure black markings, so, she can’t be anything else. I have to report back. Excuse me for a moment," he explains then rushes out of the room looking anxious.

  "Little cub, focus on your human form. I don't want to force you back again," the alpha coaxes.

  “I’ll help,” Kylah says, as I see an image of her running at me.

  I do as he says and try to see myself as a person. I can feel myself changing back, but it doesn't hurt this time. When I see her hit my chest, the shift happens. I breathe a sigh of relief as I take the robe back from my mom.

  "Why do I explode out to my animal form, but it's slow to turn back?" I ask.

  “I’m too strong for how young you are,” Kylah states like I should know.

  “We need to teach you control. Kylah isn’t supposed to be in charge,” Jace comments.

  “Mind your own business leopard,” Kylah huffs.

  "Not sure, most shifters are slow both ways," the alpha answers.

  "Maybe that Jack guy will know," my dad suggests trying to be optimistic.

  "Maybe, but I'm nervous of his reaction," Mom replies, rubbing her hands together in worry.

  "Don't jump to conclusions," the alpha barks, seemingly upset.

  “Kylah says it’s because she’s too strong for my age,” I answer my own question aloud.

  “That’s so interesting you can hear your animal,” my mom says; her eyes wide in awe.

  "What happened to you when your clan found you were a bear instead of a wolf?" I question him. I become hopeful that he’ll tell me everything will be alright.

  "I was moved to a bear clan," he answers quietly.

  "Be honest. They're going to take me, aren't they?" I whisper, feeling the panic rising in my chest.

  “We should go with them,” Kylah says, confused why I want to be with bears.

  "Probably, little cub. After that reaction, I don't think I can stop them," he replies, his voice quivering, betraying his emotions.

  “At least my cat will be happy about it,” I huff, crossing my arms across my chest.

  My mom starts openly sobbing again, leaning into my dad for support. They're both distraught and I can't even comfort them because I feel the same. I plop on the floor and bury my head in my hands and cry. I’m never going to belong anywhere now. This is my home, but I don’t belong, and if he takes me, it won’t ever be home again. I hear the door open and close, but I don't bother looking up. I can smell it's Jack. My senses in this form are starting to improve already.

  “You have to come with us, please understand,” Jace explains in my head.

  "I've talked to the four queens. They want the girl to integrate back into the Huntsman clan, effective immediately," Jack explains, a sad note in his voice.

  I refuse to acknowledge his presence. If I ignore him, maybe he'll go away and leave us alone. I feel a large hand on my shoulder and look up. The alpha's look doesn't leave any room for argument. Years of conditioning make it so I have to listen, even though it's the worst thing that could ever happen.

  "Do I at least get to go home and grab my stuff?" I whisper, scared my voice will betray me.

  "No need. We'll buy you more appropriate attire on the way," he replies.

  "I’m not leaving here in a robe," I wail, unable to keep it together. “I need a goodbye with my family.”

  “Fine, we’ll go to your house so you can get dressed, but that’s it. One outfit” he orders; his eyes betraying his sadness.

  “He doesn’t want to take you, but we don’t want to die,” Jace says then leaves.

  “Why would we die?” I ask, feeling confused.

  “Jack will explain later. Just know this is for our own good,” Jace sighs.

  We follow Jack into his limo and ride in silence to my house. I don’t know what to say, and my emotions are churning. When we get to the curb, I run inside and find my little brother and give him a hug.

  “What’s wrong with you,” he asks pulling back like I hurt him.

  “They’re taking me away. I have to get dressed and go, just wanted to say goodbye,” I whisper then run to my room before the tears catch up.

  I put on a comfortable outfit and my favorite running shoes then go back downstairs after one last look at my room I’m leaving behind.

  “It’s a new beginning,” Kylah says, trying to comfort me.

  "I don't want to leave you," I sob, hugging my mom.

  "I know and we don't want you to leave either, but we don't have a choice so make us proud and stay strong," she replies stoically.

  "Love you. Call us when you get settled in," my dad says, kissing my forehead.

  Jack grabs my hand and pulls me behind him towards the door. I hate to admit but he feels familiar in a way he shouldn’t. I look back over my shoulder and watch my parents fall apart. I decide then that emotions suck, and I'm not going to allow mine to make me weak.

  “Jack wants to help you; don’t hate him,” Jace says.

  “I don’t understand why she isn’t happy to go to our real home,” Kylah tells him.

  “How do you get used to the voices in your head?” I ask, wanting to pull my hair out.

  “It’s been that way since I first shifted. I always knew Jace would talk to me when he named himself. I’m sorry you weren’t brought up with the knowledge,” Jack sighs, looking at his hands.

  Chapter 3

  We settle in the back of Jack's limo. I refuse to look at him or engage in any further conversation. He just destroyed my life, and he can't even seem to understand that.

  "I'm really not your enemy. I convinced the queens to allow you to integrate instead of killing you," he explains still looking at his hands.

  “Listen to him,” Jace orders, pacing on the edge of my mind.

  "What!" I scream, not believing I was this close to death.

  "They were split. Two wanted you dead and the other two said to integrate. I don't know why they thought you should die for your mother's mistakes," he sighs sadly. “Anyways, you’re my responsibility so let’s make the best of this.”

  "Well, thank you for saving my life, but I have no idea what I'm walking into. Why would they want me dead? Where will I stay? I don't have family there that I know of," I ask anxiously.

>   "The way our clan is set up, all children your age attend Nightfall Academy. It's a boarding school, so you will live there during the school year. I volunteered for you to live with me during breaks. That is if you want to," he explains. “As for they why they want you dead, it has to do with a prophecy that we believe. I’ll explain more later.”

  “Yes we want to,” Kylah perks up.

  "Why would you do that?" I ask perplexed.

  "I don't always agree with everything that is done. If you would have looked any differently, I was prepared to leave you with your family. I wasn't able to once I saw your panther," he sighs, staring at his hands again.

  "How am I going to catch up with kids who have lived this?" I panic, trying to take slow deep breaths.

  "You're smart. You'll catch up in no time. We have a few days to go over the basics before term starts," he tries to calm me.

  “Stop worrying. I can’t get out and run,” Kylah growls, pacing back and forth anxiously.

  "Let's talk about something else. I don't want to think right now. My life is upside down, and I just want to go home to my mom and dad," I sniff, trying not to cry.

  “Can we control when our cats talk to other people?” I ask, wondering if he knows Jace is talking to me.

  “I wish we could. They don’t always tell us what they tell other people,” he gives me a sideways look, making me think Kylah’s been talking to him.

  "What kind of clothes do you like? We have a budget of ten thousand dollars for everything you need," he asks.

  "That's way more money than we need," I reply wide-eyed.

  "You'll need a laptop, new cell phone, tablet, clothes for off school time, uniforms, and anything else you would like for entertainment. It'll add up quickly. The students at your school have certain standards. You need to dress the part and present yourself as confident," he explains further.

  "So, snobby rich kids," I sass.

  "Exactly. We're going to have you dress the part, and you're going to present yourself as confident, even if you have to fake it. They don't need to know your past."

  "How will they not know already?"

  "They will know that you weren't raised here, but not about the adoption. There are cities all over the world where our kind are stationed to help police the other shifters,” he explains, fidgeting his hands in one another.