Page 1 of Waste
Prologue.
Ghoul – September 1818.
Hunters breathed down his neck, and even though he hid, it was only a matter of time before they tracked him down. Would it be so bad to surrender? Let them take him and end his life? Ghoul was so damn tired of being chased and living on the edge.
As Ghoul splashed through the brackish water, he saw distant torches gleaming in the darkness. They would be on top of him soon.
This was his best defence—the dirty, mucky waters of this swamp. His skin, when clean, almost glowed as white as snow. Not very easy to hide when you shine in the dark. Ghoul looked down at his body and ensured he was covered in mud. Satisfied, Ghoul moved once more.
Those torches were coming closer.
He headed to where he’d stashed a small boat. If he could reach that, he could lose the Hunters in the dense swamp of the Congo. Here, nature ruled, making life miserable for humans. But where Ghoul had thought he’d been safe, hiding, had been proved wrong when Hunters discovered him three weeks ago.Since then, they’d chased him. Ghoul had lost them twice, but they’d picked his trail up again and again.
Ruthlessly, they’d followed him across the African country. Ghoul knew that heading deeper into the swamp was his best choice. He’d lose them easily there. Luckily for him, his sin had fed two nights ago and would be satiated for a while. The Sin of Waste lay asleep inside him, not bothered at all that they were being pursued. Why would it? The Sin was selfish and didn’t care about anything other than its appetite.
Ghoul wearied of the constant battle with Waste. Initially, when he got infected, it had been a feeding frenzy. Over time, Ghoul had gained command. Now Waste fed once a month and was happy.
Ghoul could disappear into the swamps and make his way to the outlying villages if he needed to feed.
Meanwhile, he had to figure out where to hide. Obviously, the Congo was no longer safe. Shouts echoed faintly in the distance, and Ghoul increased his speed even though he was tired. He finally spotted the area where he’d hidden his boat and dragged it out from under cover. Once he’d climbed in, Ghoul began paddling away. He headed towards the deepest part of the swamps, certain that the humans and their dogs couldn’t follow. If they did… well, Ghoul wasn’t the only dangerous creature living here.
The shore faded, and Ghoul relaxed. He’d made it.
For a while, he was safe. Safe from being tortured, cut up, and slowly murdered. Ghoul shook his head. It was pointless to lament his life. God might have forsaken him, but Ghoul intended to thumb his nose up at the all-important God.
Then, a piercing pain shot through his body, making him stiffen before he collapsed on the floor of the small rowing boat.
Ghoul shuddered violently, and he bit down hard to keep the wail of agony inside him. It felt like his body was burningfrom the inside out. He wrapped his arms around himself as the violent shaking worsened. Ghoul thought his ears would bleed at the sharp whistling sound in them. Just as quickly as it started, it ended, and Ghoul carefully picked himself up.
He sensed something inside, and as he concentrated, he let out a cry of surprise as his hands and arms shifted to human ones. What the hell? Ghoul gazed at them in disbelief. Had he gone mad? Completely perplexed, Ghoul peered over the side of the boat and stared into the water. A human male looked back at him. He gasped and waved, and the reflection followed suit.
What was happening? Was this a sign from God that he hadn’t been cursed for eternity? Ghoul searched himself and found that Waste was awake and as puzzled as he was. Waste prodded at him, and suddenly he shifted to his former self.
Wait a moment.
Ghoul dug deep again, finding that warm spot inside, and concentrated. Once again, the human visage appeared. Ghoul shifted between forms a couple more times. What had just happened was a damn miracle. Because from what he could tell, Ghoul had just discovered the perfect way to hide from Hunters. As a blasted human!
Chapter One.
Drew/Ghoul
He didn’t understand this. What seemed strange and unusual… was. Sure, those surrounding him were, for better or worse, his family. One could almost call them his siblings as they were born in the same manner and had grown up together. But this?
Drew looked down at the wriggling creature in his arms. He was more than aware it had tentacles and would slap his face should Drew lift it close enough. Balius, Jase and Willow’s eldest child, stared at him with a narrowed gaze. Should babies this young even be able to narrow their eyes?
Drew felt mystified by the baby boy, who seemed as puzzled as Drew. He pursed his lips and jolted back as Balius slapped a tentacle at him.
“Oh no, has he shifted again?” Willow asked, approaching. Drew quickly handed Balius to her and watched.
Jase appeared, his arms full, carrying two further babies. That would be Duris and Raisa. Four weeks ago, Willow had given birth to triplets. Two boys and a girl. The girl, Raisa, was aquiet little thing compared to her rowdy brothers, but somehow Drew knew she’d hold her own.
Their father being Poseidon, King of the Oceans and Seas, and a triple shape shifter, the children had inherited his abilities. Jase held three shifted forms —human, merman and uber-merman, which was essentially a merman on steroids. Balius seemed to prefer his own tiny, uber-merman form. Willow constantly had her hands full trying to make Balius shift to a human baby.
Drew allowed a smile to cross his face. Jase and Willow hadn’t yet been able to take the babies out in public. They couldn’t risk the triplets shifting into any of their other forms.
Much like the last time Vladimir had taken his daughter Amari out; she’d bitten some nasty old lady. Lilith had to wipe the victim’s mind. In Amari’s defence, the elderly woman had been incredibly rude to Emmaline, Amari’s mother.
Drew looked at the most hot-tempered man he knew, who presently hummed a lullaby and rocked the babies. Nope, Drew didn’t understand parenting and children at all.
