is I don’t know how I changed it. The chains and magic surrounding them should prevent me from doing so, but something about my mate’s plea, her hunger and need, pushed me to break through that, for just a moment, to be able to change my face for her. I can still feel her lingering touch, the brush of her petal soft lips against mine.
The ravenous way she devoured me, making me shiver.
“Your need, our bond broke through the magic,” is all I say, and she nods, accepting my answer without question. It makes me wonder what my mate is and what she knows of magic and witches and the rest of this world we are in. “It’s the chains, they trap me.”
She looks at them, head tilting to the side and eyes flashing black for a moment. I try to remember the supernaturals I have encountered who had black eyes, but I come up short. “What are you, Draya?”
“Skinwalker, I am told.” She huffs when I just continue to stare. “Short version, my ex-husband murdered me and left me for dead, then I pulled myself from the ground and woke up like this...able to change my face and body, super strong, super hearing.”
“Skinwalkers are rare...wait, ex-husband?” I almost roar.
She pats my chest. “Yeah, don’t worry, I killed and buried him.” I blink at her and she grins, making me huff out a laugh.
“You don’t talk a lot…” She trails off.
“Habit.” Her eyebrows raise so I force myself to carry on speaking, trying to break through years of conditioning. “My old queen,” I snarl, “didn’t want my conversation, she thought me nothing but an animal and as such I should act like one.”
Her eyes narrow, and jealousy flares through the mate bond for a moment, so I stroke her head, patting her awkwardly. “Not to fear, Draya, I killed her.” She settles a bit then.
“Queen?” she finally prompts.
“A false queen, a human who, with the help of witches, gained power. She married a king and became the leader. Under her reign, she entrapped many supernatural species and used them for horrible purposes such as entertainment and science.”
“You as well?” she queries, anger in her sensual voice.
“No, I was made. A result of magic and experiments. My whole race was made for her. To be the animal she craved, the minotaurs of the great maze sent to protect something that we didn’t even know...but when she saw me—” I grind my teeth and a soft hand lands on where my cheek would be and strokes. I look down into those eyes and soften, the words tumbling out. “When she saw me, she wanted me, and what the queen desired she took. I was taken from my people and made into her slave. One day I displeased her, so she threw me into the arena to fight for amusement. I won and became a famed fighter, so she had no choice but to share me with the people, fighting for their entertainment. Slaughtering many, some I would call friends. It changed me. I let my animal take over more and more, unable to stand it. One day we tried to escape and she took my shift away. All I am left with is this and my human form.”
“What was your other shift?” she inquires curiously, no fear or disgust in her voice even after what I just shared.
“Something beyond human imagination, something made of black magic and anger...but so strong.” I shake my head.
“How did you kill her?” Dawn asks, leaning closer again, comforting me even when I did not know I needed it.
“She thought she could tame me, was so sure of her witch pets’ control...she was wrong. She often brought me to her bed chamber, a punishment for me and her dying husband next door, who was forced to listen. She knew I hated her, hated touching her. I had no choice, she would often bring another of my kind and threaten them unless I did. I began to realise it was pointless, so I waited and watched, looking for her weakness.”
“What was it?”
“Me, the thing she feared most. The Beast of Cornacadia, the monster she created. She dreaded what she had made so she tried to keep me close, but in the end all it did was kill her. She had handed me my swords the day before, pried from the dead hands of a brother of mine, it was the turning point…”