Bite: A Shifters of Theria Novel (32 page)

There’s no more Carmine Pesconi. And though I don’t know much about this Theria, I know that it’s a better place without Pesconi in it.

“A water bottle,” Freddie says, laughing again. “That’s so stupid. A fuckin’ water bottle.”

I push back the urge to reach down and squeeze his broken leg. “That fucking water bottle saved your life, you dumb son of a bitch.” The least he could do is show some appreciation.

He plants a kiss on my forehead and laughs. “God, I love ya,” he says. The kiss fills my body with warmth, washes away the pain.

I nestle my face against his chest. “I love you, too.”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

GETTING EVEN

A broken leg, a broken arm, and three broken ribs don’t stand between Freddie and a chance at some action. I’m hardly in the motel for five minutes before he’s on top of me, both hands under my shirt, the pig. I can’t find a place to hold on. Whenever I put my hands anywhere on his body, he groans in pain. “Careful, that’s still tender,” he says more times that I can count. I insist that he goes to the hospital across the street, but he refuses. He says that Lemurians make shit doctors.

Unlike Freddie, I went to the hospital. Shockingly, I had no more than a few cuts, a broken rib, and a broken wrist. At the hospital, a Lemurian police officer questioned me, wondering who’d beaten me up. I lied and said I fell down the stairs. I was at the hospital for two hours. When I got back to the motel, Freddie was waiting naked on the bed. I think he’d been waiting, sprawled out the whole time I was gone.

“Just go and have them look at you—make sure there’s no internal bleeding or anything,” I tell him.

He laughs my comment off and shakes his head. Did I say something funny? Or was that Freddie’s way of saying he’d sooner die of internal bleeding than see a Lemurian doctor.

I tighten my hand around his bicep. “Careful—that’s tender,” he says.

I roll my eyes. “Why don’t I go on top?”

He grins and his eyes flash. He rolls over, pulling me on top of him with the strength of a man who isn’t in any pain—who’s just being a big baby for pity sex.

“Is your tongue tender?” I ask

His grin expands, answering my question. I slide up his body, hovering my pelvis over his face. His hands glide down my sides, landing on my hips, pulling me down towards his mouth. I take his hands and move them over his head, to the bedframe. Then, I cuff his wrists to the frame.

His expression drops. “What’re ya doin’?”

“I lifted them off a cop, at the hospital.” I’ve also stolen the grin from his face.

His eyes flash again and he smiles awkwardly. I shake my head—of course he’s into bondage. “They’re too tight,” he says.

“Good, they’re ventice, too, so don’t try to shift,” I say, springing to my feet. I pick up my clothes quickly dress.

“Wait, what? What are ya doin’?” his smile is completely gone now and his lips are parted.

“I met some Lemurians who said they’ve been looking for you. Couldn’t say no to ten thousand territs.” I grab the door handle, look back at Freddie, and wink. His face is flushed ivory. “See you around, Freddie!”

“Wait! Liv!”

Two burly Lemurians wait for me in the parking lot. All I have to do is point towards the room, and one of the men hands me a sac containing ten thousand territs. The men head towards the room. I wasn’t kidding.

Freddie is a prick—without question, the biggest asshole I’ve ever met. I nearly died after the bastard sold me to Pesconi’s men. The least I can do is return the favour.

He’ll be fine. I know he’ll find a way out, and I know he’ll find me. And when he does, I’ll be waiting, and we’ll be even. There might even be wedding bells.

THE END

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

This mini encyclopaedia contains terms used in the Shifters of Theria series. There are no spoilers contained in this glossary. Knowing these definitions before reading is in no way necessary, but it may be convenient for readers who are new to the series.

Asgard
(place)

A once small fishing town, Asgard has grown into a thriving metropolis and cornerstone of Theria’s fishing industry. Asgard is the home of the Asgard Meteor, a shirling team in the SAT with a notoriously hardcore fan base.

Beaunelle Vianna
(brand)

An elite clothing company, based out of Vianna. Owned and operated by a therian named Beaunelle. Beaunelle Vianna is famously expensive.

bit
(noun)

A therian coin, equal to ten territs.

Cidessa
(place)

Cidessa is a beach town at the southern tip of Theria. It’s a popular destination for vacationers.

crown
(noun)

A therian coin, equal to one hundred territs.

Elder
(title)

An elite member of the therian monarch.

Elders’ Hall
(place)

The official residence and official workplace of the king of Theria, the political heart of Theria. The Elders’ Hall is located in the province of Old Theria, in the town of Old Theria.

Lavallette
(brand)

A luxury clothing company, based out of Vianna. Lavallette is best known for their heeled-shoes.

Lemuria
(place)

Lemuria is the capital of the Thule province. It is a large city, with a population of five million therians. The vast majority of Lemuria’s residents work in the mining industry, and the town’s large center is also its industrial sector. Lemuria is the only city in Theria with two shirling teams: the Lemuria Treeskins, and the Thule Cloud. Lemurians invented Shirling, and the Treeskins and the Cloud are the two oldest teams, both with more Maerwynd cup wins than any other team. As of 2015, they are even with thirty-eight wins each.

loke
(noun)

A shirling term; a little coat worn by peeps. The loke changes color relative to the peg that hits it. Teams earn points every few seconds a loke glows their respective color.

mark
(noun)

A therian coin, equal to one territ.

Maerwynd Cup
(noun)

A shirling term; the trophy awarded to the best shirling team in the SAT (
Shirling Association of Theria
).

mallock
(noun)

Slang; a therian whose shifted form is that of a rodent, usually a mouse, or a rat.

Max Vettore
(brand)

A luxury clothing company, based out of Vianna. Owned by Max Vettore.

nesting
(verb)

A shirling term; nesting is the unlawful act of tampering with a peep(s), to keep it/them hidden from other players.
Other tenses:
nested (past), nest (future, past (passive)).

Old Theria
(place)

1. Old Theria is a province of Theria.
   

2. Old Theria is a town in the province of the same name, and the capitol of Theria. With a population of less than ten thousand, Old Theria is the home of the king, the Elders, and the Elders’ Hall. It is also home of the Old Theria Red Knights, a shirling team in the SAT.

peep
(noun)

A shirling term; the focus of play in shirling. Peeps are chubby birds, released into a shirling field at the beginning of a shirling match. Shrills attempt to peg the peeps to take control of their lokes. In modern shirling, living peeps have been replaced by a mechanical alternative, in accordance with the
Peep Cruelty Act
.

peg

1.
Verb;
a shirling term; the act of hitting a peep with a peg (
see noun
)

2.
Noun;
a shirling term; a peg is a non-lethal arrow, which is designed to explode on impact. Pegs are used by shrills in the sport of shirling.

Primea
(place)

Primea is a Therian province. It used to be its own country.

primean
(noun)

Slang; a therian whose shifted form is that of a non-human hominid, usually a gorilla, or a chimpanzee.

Quell Falls
(place)

A high-altitude mountain town, famous for its harsh winter conditions. Quell Falls was originally built to be the stronghold for the king and later became a popular skiing destination.

Rebels
(organization)

Commonly referred to as
The Rebel Uprising
, the Rebels are the political opposition to the king and the Royal Guard. The Rebel Uprising is a revolutionary army.

Regulation
(government body)

A department designated to ensuring humans remain ignorant to Theria and therians.

regulator
(title)

A therian who works for the Regulation department.
Verbs:
regulated (past), regulating (present), regulate (future).

Royal Guard
(government body)

The body of troops of the Therian army. The Royal Guard directly serves the king.

shift
(verb)

The therian ability to transform between human and animal form. Therians can only shift into one animal form. Their animal form is not chosen, but a genetic trait.
Other tenses:
shifted (past), shifting (present)

shifter
(noun)

Slang term for “therian.” Some consider the term “shifter” to be derogatory.

shirling
(noun)

The most popular therian sport. Shirling is played between three teams of three to five therians. Teams track and peg peeps. A team can win by shwiffing all opponents, or by controlling the most peeps for the greatest amount of time. A shirling match is generally three rounds (or more, if necessary) lasting forty minutes each.
Verbs:
shirlled (past), shirling (present), shirl (future)
.

shirling field
(noun)

A shirling term; the field where shirling is played.

shrill
(title)

A shirling term; one who shirls.

shwiff
(verb)

Future tense;
a shirling term; the act of eliminating a player by shooting him/her with a peg.
Other tenses:
shwiffed (past), shwiffing (present).

sniff
(noun)

A therian whose shifted form is that of an animal with exceptional smelling ability, usually a hound, or a mole.

sting
(verb)

Future tense;
the act of jabbing someone with a stinger.
Other tenses:
stung (past), stinging (present).

stinger
(noun)

A powerful tranquilizer, which also triggers the shifting mechanism in therians.

territ
(noun)

The basic monetary unit of Theria.

Theria
(place)

The whole therian nation.

therian
(noun)

A bipedal species, physically identical to humans, with the ability to shift between human and animal form. In human form, therians have impressive strength and an increased speed of healing.

Thule
(place)

Thule is a Therian province. Grasslands cover its remarkably flat plains. Thule has few notable features, aside from a number of freshwater lakes. Its capital city is Lemuria.

Valley of the Bears
(place)

Situated North of Old Theria, the Valley of the Bears is a sacred mountain valley, occupied by the aboriginal Swiftbane Clan. The Valley of the Bears has been fought over for years because of its strategic location. It is the only safe passage between Old Theria and Quell Falls, among others.

ventice
(adjective)

An article of clothing or an accessory that is made from special materials, which disappear when worn by a therian in animal form, and return when the therian returns to human form. Scientists are not sure why ventice material works.
Verbs:
vented (past), venting (present), vent (future).

Vianna
(place)

A city built on a large lake (Lake Vianna), located in the province of Old Theria. Vianna is famous for its romantic setting, and its fashion culture.