Breaking Out Read online

  Breaking Out

  Triad Series Book 1

  By Gayle Parness

  Copyright 2014 Gayle Parness

  Dedicated to the wonderful readers willing to accompany me on a

  different kind of journey. Thank you.

  This is a work of fiction. The names of all fae, demons, werewolves, shapeshifters, vampires, humans or other species mentioned in this book are a product of my imagination. So please don’t call your Master Vampire or your Pack Alpha and tell him I’m causing trouble. I’m not.

  Plus I don’t heal as fast as they do.

  One more thing: Breaking Out is the first book in the Triad Series. If you haven’t read the Rogues Shifter Series ebooks, the lead character in this book, Charlie, is a spoiler unto himself. You don’t need to read the other books to enjoy this one, but if you read this one and then decide to read the other series…oh well. You have now been officially warned. :0)

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Connect to Gayle

  Other Books by Gayle Parness

  BREAKING OUT

  Northern California

  CHAPTER ONE

  "Jay, we're on."

  "Cool. See ya in sixty."

  I pulled the sleeping bag and fully loaded backpack off the floor of my closet and yanked my leather jacket off the hook. This was it and I was ready.

  For six months—six months—we'd been preparing for this trip, reading backpacker blogs and studying maps of the Sierras and the California coastline. Jay and I’d spent dozens of late-night hours in the back booths of the Gasquet Deli, arguing over details.

  All this time we thought we’d been keepin’ our game plans under the radar, 007-style. Once a week I’d sneak out of my house at midnight, Jay telling me to wear black and act “normal”—whatever that was for someone like me: a total freak of nature. I’d usually show up a couple of minutes early via the ley lines, a mode of travel only available to supernaturals with demon or fae blood. It was like teleporting, only you were moving through magical energy to get where you wanted to go, not quantum energy like in the movies.

  Jay would arrive on his bike, a sweet machine rebuilt by a local leopard Jay met at a motorcycle show in Oakland. He’d hide it a quarter mile from our meeting place so the people in town wouldn’t be disturbed by the loud noise of the engine at 1:00 am. Then he’d jog the rest of the way.

  ‘Course there we were, a couple of young guys hanging out in a well-lit, all-night diner in a territory where supernaturals had settled by the thousands. Even with hats and hoods we must’ve been easy to sniff out—it was a pretty small town—and the random shifter or werewolf in the next booth could’ve overheard our sometimes-heated discussions. I’d mentioned that fact to Jay, suggesting more secluded locales, but he shrugged it off. I think he wasn’t willing to give up his midnight snack: a heaping plate of his favorite burgers. Typical bear.

  I re-read the beginning of dad’s note, smiling as I stuck it in one of my pack’s zippered compartments.

  Charlie,

  Kyle, Peter, and I know what you and Jay have planned. Children love to imagine they're smarter than their parents, but you two sometimes forget you're surrounded by creatures with supernatural senses and hundreds of years of experience. C'mon, give us some credit.

  Yep, we’d been busted big time by not only my dad, but also Jay’s. To be honest, I was relieved I’d gotten the okay from at least one of my parents, although I'd much rather have been up front about the whole thing from the start. In the note Dad laid down some rules, but I was cool with those because he’d made it clear he trusted me to be smart enough to keep my head and not get into trouble.

  My brows collided as I stuffed in another sweatshirt, using more force than was absolutely necessary. Mom expected me to stick close to home all the time, even now that I was an adult. She'd managed to forget the fact that at seventeen she’d been mated to Dad, stepping into dangerous situations on a weekly basis. She'd even fought a duel with a three hundred year old vampire, turning him to ash in front of his even older maker.

  Now I was seventeen and ready to do my part, but that fact didn’t seem to penetrate her over-protective mind. If I’d told her my plans, she would’ve done everything in her power to keep me right here, including calling in Aedus, the newest Cascade Fae Elder. He and Mom might’ve decided to toss my butt into Faerie—for my protection. Dad might have spoken up for me, but it would’ve caused an all-out family battle and in the end he would’ve backed Mom.

  I didn’t have the stomach for that kind of scene. My birth had caused everybody enough stress.

  Lucky for me, Mom and Dad were spending a few nights in San Francisco. They hardly ever took time off to be alone, so I’m sure she jumped at the chance when he suggested it. Man, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes when she finds out I’ve gone. I hope he doesn’t tell her until they get back home, ‘cause he’ll probably be sleeping in a guest room for the next month.

  Although what went down was bad, the timing of the huge fiasco at the Faerie Court with the former queen, Fionna, and her dad, King Finvarra, turned out to suit me perfectly. For once in my life I wasn't being guarded, since all my regular watchers were needed at court. As Isaiah would say, an unexpected opportunity should never be wasted.

  As I strapped the sleeping bag to the backpack, I grunted in frustration. Cutting out in this sneaky way meant I wouldn't have a chance to say goodbye to my friends. I imagined that Linn would be sad, then furious. She was my best friend in Faerie, although she’d always seemed to want more than friendship. Grady, Liam’s adopted son would look at the situation logically and then be angry that he hadn’t had a chance to ask me to interview any fae that I might happen to meet during my trip. He’d taken a consuming interest in the history of the fae and more recently, the demonic races.

  I ran a tense hand through my hair. When they find out what I’ve done, Liam, Sasha and Rick will want to hang me up by my balls for hurting Mom. I winced, thinking I might have to extend my trip a little longer than I’d planned just so they’d have a chance to calm down. If Isaiah, my demonic great-uncle and sometimes trainer, were here, he’d probably punch me in the shoulder and wish me luck. My shoulder would hurt for a week, but it was his way of showing he was proud of me
.

  And Mom, well, she’ll be hurt and angry, but that was nothing new where I was concerned. We’d argued a lot over the last year, mostly over me having a life.

  I pushed the hair out of my face and looked in the mirror. I looked like him, Lord Kennet, my birth father, especially now that I was full-grown. Same light hair. Same eyes. My mouth and nose were more like Mom’s, but there was enough of a resemblance to be a constant reminder of the fae who’d raped and beaten her and gotten her pregnant. Sometimes I’d catch her staring at me when she didn’t think I was looking. It was worry I saw in her expression: worry that I wouldn’t be able to control my magic, or worse, that I’d turn out to be a monster like him.

  We never talked about it. Neither of us could seem to find the courage to bring it up. And so the moat grew wider, frustrating us, separating us, dividing us.

  I took care of a few things in the bathroom, splashing water on my face to get my thoughts back in gear. My decision had been made. Continuing to live my life in this comfortable prison was no longer an option for me.

  Using a skill I’d learned from Isaiah, I morphed my blonde hair to reddish brown and my purple eyes to dark blue. Taking a look at my profile, I lengthened my nose, forming a small bump as if it’d been broken in a fight, changing my scent from cheetah to leopard, leaving the rest of my body pretty much the same. Jay was good-looking in that all-American kind of way that a lot of girls went for. No one would be noticing me and that was just the way I wanted it.

  Huffing out an excited burst of air, I adjusted the straps, threading them over my shoulders to recheck the balance. So this was it. I was officially done with this whole "Savior of the Supernatural World" cloud I'd lived under for seventeen years. The thought had me grinning for the first time today.

  There was a whining sound outside my door. I opened it and in trotted my Rottweiler. He sniffed around and licked my hand. “Hey, Samson. You know I’m going, right? I’m sorry, I can’t take you with me, boy.”

  I almost fell on the floor in shock when he growled at me. Samson had been my best bud my whole life. He’d never growled at me, not once. What was up? Was he sick or something?

  I sensed her even before I smelled her familiar floral scent. It usually made me smile to see her, but today? Not so much. "I was wondering when you'd show, Sinlae.” There was no way she’d allow me to sneak away without saying goodbye.

  She didn’t waste time before dishing out orders. “You must take Samson. He is your cu sith.” The dog in question began furiously wagging his tail, his growling having stopped the minute he saw the tiny pixie materialize over my dresser.

  “No, he’s my mom’s.” A cu sith was a faerie dog who protected a particular person. They lived longer than a normal canine and were magically gifted with better fighting skills and more acute senses. He’d saved my mom’s life a couple of times and had been a part of the Wild Hunt that went after Lord Kennet.

  “He is yours now.” When I grunted in disagreement she slapped her hand on the desk like I was five again. “I am certain. Your mother no longer has need of him now that Lord Snakeskin is gone. Both of your parents will feel more confident about your journey if you are well protected.”

  I almost laughed out loud, deciding at the last second to zip my trap. Sinlae would scold me if she thought I wasn’t taking her advice seriously, even though her nickname for Kennet always cracked me up.

  Lifting my chin, I drew myself up to my full height—ten times taller than her seven and a half inches. When a guy does battle with a pixie it’s best to show a lot of confidence. They’re tougher and deadlier than most full-grown werewolves and more stubborn than a bear shifter. “I can take care of myself and you know that’s the truth.” My combo of powers gave me a huge advantage over most supes, and it wasn’t too likely that Jay or I would have a run in with any of the more dangerous magical creatures.

  The little schemer’s eyes narrowed in thought. “Samson would protect Jason as well.”

  Oh, she knew how to dig in the knife, all right. Jay’s safety was my primary concern. Yeah, he was 6’3” in human form and could shift into a six hundred and fifty pound grizzly bear, but besides the small amount of power all shifters were born with, he had no magic.

  He also had no agenda other than to have a cool adventure with me out on the road. He didn’t expect me to choose sides between the fae and demon camps or hone my skills in preparation for the prophesized war, and he especially didn’t want to talk politics. Nope, Jay was the perfect travel buddy: fun to hang with, good in an emergency, and completely loyal. There’d be no bullshit between us. I was plenty sick of all the intrigue I’d grown up around.

  Samson nudged against my knee, reminding me that we were discussing him. “What would I do with the big mutt? Not every territory is pet friendly.” Samson licked my hand, not taking offence at being called a mutt.

  “Charles, you know as well as I that he adapts with ease, sleeping anywhere, even in the pouring rain. He can walk for miles, travel with you through the lines, and run much faster than you might imagine. He is also able to hunt his own food, although he is pleased to consume whatever you are eating.”

  “Yeah, he’s a regular food bandit.” There’d been many a time when I’d turned my back for a second and one of my burgers had disappeared. He always left me at least one, but I’d taken to making extras.

  After a few seconds spent thinking it over, I noticed her smiling smugly. She knew she had me with the “protecting Jay” comment. “Fine. I’ll take him. But if he doesn’t work out, I’m bringing him back and dumping him in your favorite flower bed with orders to dig it up.” Over the years I’d found it was unwise to disregard her advice, because when I did, I'd usually end up in some kind of trouble. Trouble on the road, just Jay and me alone, was nothing to take lightly.

  “And if you dare to do such a thing to my perfect gardens you and Samson will be sleeping with a bed full of ticks and fleas for the next month.” Her face had pinked up in outrage, but when she saw my smile, she sighed. “You were such a sweet young child, laughing all the time, always so polite.”

  “I can pull out manners when they suit me, Lady Sinlae.” I nodded with respect and smiled.

  “It doesn’t suit you often enough, these days.”

  I huffed in exasperation. “Why aren’t you sounding the alarm? The villa vamps could be here in a flash." Sasha and Heinrich were part of Garrett’s nest and lived right next door. Vampires could travel faster than you could see them move.

  The tiny pixie buzzed around my head, furious. "Perhaps I should. Or perhaps I should not have come to your room at all. I’m sure you will not miss my scolding you.”

  I’d upset her. “I will miss it. I’ll miss you too and your mates and all those children you’ve had.” There were too many names to remember. “I apologize.”

  She settled back on my desk and smiled a perfect fairy princess kind of smile. “I have seen that you benefit from this journey in many ways. So I will leave you with two small bits of advice. Trust your true instincts and stay in communication so all know you are safe. I would not wish to be dragged back here by Kaera or Aedus. They would not be gentle with you or Jay."

  "They won't find us."

  "They will." She crossed her arms and pouted, hovering above my unmade bed.

  “I have tricks up my sleeve even you don’t know about.” I pulled the blanket up, so she wouldn’t complain about the mess I was leaving.

  “How can one so young be so blasted cheeky?” She frowned at the half-assed job I’d done and fixed it with a twitch of her hand.

  I winked. “I learned my cheekiness from the best.”

  She giggled in her musical way, then flew over and poked my shoulder. "You will call your lady mother on a regular basis.”

  "They’ll trace me." I pointed out. Cell phone records weren’t that hard to get.

  "You will call twice each moon cycle or I will come myself to drag you back." This time I laughed out loud. �
�Hmph. You think I cannot? I have tricks up my sleeve even you know nothing about,” she snapped.

  "Fine. I’ll call. But not from my cell." My mood had cooled and I was angry at the thought of living within boundaries, different but still restrictive. I was on my way to freedom, a place where rules no longer applied to me. At least not the kind I’d been living under for seventeen years.

  "You will swear this?"

  She fluttered past my nose, her wings bringing up a steady breeze, her hands on her hips. "Yes, on my blood. You're impossible to argue with."

  "My males all say the same," she smirked, spinning around in the air and landing gracefully on the dresser. After having spoken the prophecy that everyone made such a big deal over, Sinlae had watched over my family and me with great care from the moment I entered the world.

  "Are you going to tell them about our training sessions?" I asked. She’d taught me how to mask my scent, a skill that might be used often during my trip with Jay.

  Sinlae patted at her hair, smoothing out any strays. "No. I will say nothing because I do not wish to be sent back to Faerie where I will be forced to pull weeds. Here my garden is a work of art, and my males are kept busy day and night." She teased me with a wink and a mischievous smile.

  “They are fortunate to have such a lovely mate.” Female pixies loved compliments.

  “Indeed.” Her expression grew serious. "Your lady mother will suffer. No matter how angry you are with her, you must leave her a loving note. I insist on this."

  I glanced at the floor, embarrassed that I hadn’t thought to write one myself. I was pissed off, but I wouldn’t be cruel. "Yes, sure. Thanks Sinlae...for everything." I bowed with my hand on my heart in the fae manner, showing her great respect.

  She smiled back coquettishly. "Good journey to you, Charles Liam William Cuvier, Seelie Warrior, Cheetahkin and Demonspawn. I will see you at journey's end." She disappeared, and a few minutes later, so did I.