Genesis: (Book One of the True Luna Series) Read online

  The words warmed June’s heart, but it wasn’t enough and never would be. Like a rain cloud on a sunny day, her family hung above their heads. She crumpled the paper in her fist, saying, “I’ll talk to my dad. He can’t keep doing this to us. I’ll go to the council if I have to.”

  Every hunter community in the country was run by a group of six appointed officials. Overseeing the group was the head council member, Rachel Jennings. This year would mark her second decade as head of the complex.

  Being in power that long wasn’t abnormal since there was no term limit. The only way someone could leave the job was if they died or were dismissed. Council members could be put on probation if they broke a law. If they failed to comply with the stipulation set by their peers, they would be removed from office. Over the course of June’s life, only one council member had been replaced after suffering from a heart attack.

  “And say what? That your dad is looking out for you? That he’s being a father?” Jace countered with a knowing look on his face, furrowed brows, and thin set lips. “They would slam the door in your face before you even stepped into the room.”

  In hindsight, it wasn’t the best idea ever. June knew Jace had a point, especially since her dad was on the council. They would be more obligated to listen to him than her. Still, she couldn’t just stand to have her dad keep meddling in her relationship.

  “He’s never going to stop,” June told him desperately. She was losing her resolve. Their relationship was always one step forward and three steps back. “We have to do something.”

  “You’re right but that doesn’t mean we have to play dirty,” Jace said. His eyes turned soft. “The best thing we can do is show Dale how good we are for one another. We can’t force him to accept our relationship but with time he’ll realize he was wrong and come to terms with it.”

  June unclenched her hand, letting the note flutter to the ground, remarking bitterly, “I hope you’re right.”

  “Me too,” Jace sighed and jerked his head to the car. “Ready?”

  “Hardly.”

  Unlocking the car, June opened the door and slipped inside. She hoped Jace didn’t see her hands shake as she put the key into the ignition. Her mind was in disarray at the thought of going home.

  June’s father was one of the first and last people she was afraid of. While her dad was supportive, he was also very strict and domineering. Whenever she made the tiniest mistake, Dale was there to reprimand her. June couldn’t count how many lectures of his she had had to sit through. Every time she turned around, he had something to say about how she did this or how she could have done better at that.

  His relationship with Bran was the complete opposite. Her brother didn’t get lectures because, in Dale’s eyes, he was perfect. He was a model hunter and son who could do no wrong. Dale had put him on a pedestal, inflating Bran’s ego to what it was today.

  She wasn’t sure if it was because Bran was the oldest or if it had something to do with Claire. Their mother’s story was something out of a Shakespearean tragedy. It wasn’t so easily forgotten that June had played a big role in her passing.

  While Bran was the only one who liked to verbally remind her of that, she had seen the way her father looked at her when he thought she wasn’t watching. He stared at her like she was a stranger. Instead of confronting Dale, it was easier to avoid him. Nowadays, the only time they communicated was when she did something wrong or because he wanted to discuss work.

  “June?” Jace asked, placing his hand on her thigh.

  Snapping back to reality, she blinked and turned the key. She kept her eyes forward, not looking at the man in the passenger seat as she let out a breath. “I’m fine. Stop worrying about me.”

  “Are you really? Because we’ve been sitting here for five minutes and you haven’t moved an inch.”

  “I said I’m fine,” June snapped and tugged her seatbelt on, muttering to herself. “Let’s just get this over with.”

  A cloud of dust came up behind the car as she peeled out of the parking lot. Beside her, Jace swore, gripping the passenger door in a death grip. Letting out a short laugh, June pressed the gas pedal all the way down, flooring it on the empty country road.

  In record time, they were pulling up to a ten-foot-tall, iron wrought gate complete with security lights and patrolling guards. To say the least, hunters weren’t subtle. It was easier to face questions from the outside world than risk being unprepared. Despite the complex being fifty miles from the nearest town, nestled in the rolling hills of the country, there had been a few attacks. The hunters had had no choice but to adapt. Now, patrols watched the gate every hour of the day and only those authorized could leave when warranted.

  June parked behind the boom barrier and rolled down her window, flashing the guard on gate duty a smile. “Hi, Brody. How’s your night going?”

  Under the bright flood lights, Brody’s squished face flushed red. He reminded June of a squirrel with his floppy brown hair, chubby cheeks, and soft body. His voice even squeaked as he stuttered, “Y-you missed curfew again, June. I-I have to report you.”

  She waited for the security guard to pass before reaching out of the car, touching Brody’s upper arm gently. Keeping her eyes on him, she bit her lip, warily asking, “Do you have to? If my dad finds out, he’ll ground me and then I won’t be able to come and talk with you. I promise to be on time for the rest of the month.”

  Beside her, Jace muttered something about vixens. She ignored him, not taking her gaze off Brody. She could see the wheels of his mind turning. Slowly, he nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat before he answered softly, “Just this once, okay? I can’t lose my job.”

  “You won’t,” June promised. “My lips are sealed.”

  Patting his arm once more, June retracted her hand and settled back into the car. She faced the front, but the boom barrier stayed in place. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she turned her head to the man looking at her with a stargazed expression. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Brody? The gate?”

  “Uh, right, yeah,” he winced. From the pocket of his jeans, he pulled out a black box the size of a brick. There was nothing special about it other than the code he typed into the dial pad.

  From where June sat, she watched him punch in the code, managing to memorize six number before her mind lost track. Her shoulders dropped as Brody pushed a green button on the remote, raising the boom barrier and opening the gate.

  When they were inside the complex, Jace asked, “Well? Did you get it?”

  “No,” June huffed, admitting defeat. She kept her eyes on the road ahead. Barely a mile past the gate, she parked along the curb next to a small apartment complex where most of the young adults lived.

  Well, those who didn’t have an over-controlling father. Unlike the normal people her age who had moved out of their parent’s house after graduating high school, June was stuck. Dale refused to let go and made her and Brandon live at home with him. His excuse was that he wanted to keep his kids close as if they didn’t go out and hunt literal monsters.

  “I have to know, why do you even try?” Jace asked, undoing his seatbelt but not getting out. “They change the code every month.”

  June’s grip tightened around the steering wheel. “Because one day, I’m going to leave. Not forever, maybe just a day, a week at the most. But first, I need the code. Don’t you want that? Just one day of absolute freedom and no sneaking around?”

  “No,” he replied shortly without hesitating. He was oblivious to the rising tension settling in the car. “We have everything we need here. Behind the walls, we’re safe.”

  “I want more than safety, Jace,” June said. “I want adventure. I want fresh air. I want to go somewhere without being asked where I was or who I was with. I want to live.”

  “We save lives. Isn’t that enough adventure?”

  Her eyes went to the rearview mirror. She couldn’t see the gate, but the security lights shined behind them like a beac
on. No, a reminder. The gate didn’t just keep the hybrid’s out, it made her in a prisoner.

  After a long moment of silence, she answered, “No.”

  “June—” Jace started.

  Her head whipped toward him, with conviction she interrupted, “Stop. I don’t want to hear it.”

  “I was just going to say—”

  “That I should be grateful for what I have?” she asked incredulously. “That I’m lucky? If so, save your breath.”

  “—goodnight,” Jace finished, running a hand down the front of his face. “I was going to say goodnight.”

  June winced. A heavy feeling settled in her stomach as she reached for his hand, squeezing it, “Goodnight.”

  He half smiled at her before pulling away and opening the door. As he got out, Jace spoke again, “Just because I have a different mindset doesn’t mean I won’t support you, June. I love you no matter what.”

  He didn’t give her a chance to reply, not that she would know what to say, before shutting the car door. She watched him go inside his apartment, not leaving until the front door shut. Not happy but content with Jace, she pulled off the side of the road and drove home.

  June couldn’t remember when the urge to leave the complex had developed. It was a dangerous feeling and she had tried to shake it off, but it stuck like glue. She couldn’t get past the idea that something big waited for her beyond the gate. She knew it was crazy and a little insensible. However, she also knew the only way to sate it was by exploring where it took her.

  Without the code it was a pipe dream.

  Hunters could only leave when a hybrid was tracked down which took months, sometimes longer. There were those with special jobs, such as June’s cousin Dani, that could leave to go on supply runs. It was one of the few competitive positions in the complex. Almost anyone could hunt but very few could be trusted to provide for the people.

  Once a year, the council reviewed hundreds of applications of those who wished to be runners, scrutinizing each person that applied. If even one council member disapproved, the application was thrown out. On the chance that they were picked, the applicant then went through a series of interviews, six months of training, and was followed up with a three-month probationary period.

  Being a runner involved interacting with the outside world. Modern culture had to be relearned as the complex had developed its own way of living. The runner had to be aware of every word they said as to not expose where they were from.

  To June it was all worth it. Those who were accepted were given the gate code which allowed them to come and go without being stopped or asked their business. The sequence of digits was their golden key to do whatever they pleased. As long as they came back with supplies, no one batted an eye at what they did on the outside.

  Having applied to be a runner every year, June had never made it to the interview portion. She knew all too well who was stopping her. From Jace to her job, Dale would do anything to keep her by his side.

  The only reason he let her hunt was because of her sheer talent which even he couldn’t deny. But what he could do was pair her up with Bran and Alister for every hunt. They hadn’t ever tried to hide the way they observed her, making her the lookout as if that would keep her out of danger. After every mission, they reported back to Dale which usually resulted in a lecture during dinner for June.

  There would be no dinner tonight. The clock on the dash read one in the morning when June pulled into the driveway. Staring down at her was a two-story house, plain in every way. It was white with beige shudders that matched the door. The only thing that made it look semi peaceful was the pine tree out front. Despite the neighbors’ complaints of its shedding, Dale had never cut it down. In passing, he had once told June it was because of Claire and that between hunts she would read under its branches for hours a day.

  Her mother was on her mind as June climbed out of the car, locking it behind her, and wincing when it honked. She regretted not pushing the button on the door when the living room light switched on, shining through the front windows of the house. Knowing the inevitable was quickly approaching, June trudged up the porch. Before she could even insert her key into the deadbolt, the door opened.

  Standing on the other side was a man with murky brown hair, dressed in a white shirt and plaid pajama pants. There was a scowl on his face and his green eyes were narrowed into slits that stared into June’s soul as she greeted meekly, “Hi, Daddy.”

  Dale remained silent as he took a step back, letting June inside. She bit her tongue as she took in the living room. Just as she suspected, he had been waiting. On the end table, spine up, was one of his mystery novels next to a mug, probably filled with coffee. Without waiting for him to give the command, June sat down on the couch, jumping when the front door was slammed shut.

  “Phil called me. He said your car was still parked at the sawmill when he arrived, but you were nowhere to be found,” Dale said. His footsteps were silent on the hardwood as he came to stand in front of June, looking down his nose at her while stating, “I take it you were with Jace.”

  She sat up straight, dutifully saying, “We were working a case. That requires us to spend time together.”

  “That’s not what I meant, and you know it, June,” Dale chastised. “This nonsense has to end. It’s time to start acting like an adult.”

  “Coming from you? That’s rich,” she scoffed, throwing up a hand. “You gave Jace patrol for a month! He has skill but you can’t see that because you have a vendetta against us being together.”

  “How many times do I have to remind you of the risks?” he seethed. “By being together, you two are asking for trouble.”

  “I won’t let you drive a wedge between us. Jace and I know what we’re doing. If something…happens, if one of us is bitten, we’ll do what we have to.”

  Dale broke eye contact, looking off to the side. When he spoke again, his voice was heavy, “I hope so.”

  June stood up. “Dad—”

  “Go to bed. You’re training with Dani in the morning.”

  Feeling like a petulant child, June all but stomped out of the room and up the stairs. She should have known that Dale wasn’t going to let her off easy. He always had something up his sleeve, including torture. Training with Dani was probably the worst punishment ever, aside from patrol. Her cousin was ruthlessly competitive and notorious for taking things to the next level.

  Bran’s bedroom door opened, and she stopped. June scowled as he leaned against the doorframe with a smirk on his face. Dryly, she asked, “What do you want?”

  “Oh, nothing,” he chirped, “I just wanted to witness your walk of shame. Dad’s going to have you doing morning training sessions for the rest of your life.”

  “At least I won’t be alone,” she countered, hitting Bran’s weak spot. Since her and Jace started dating, Bran’s hate had grown tenfold. He harbored the insane idea that June ruined their friendship.

  Bran sneered. “Until Jace finds a different whore to occupy his time.”

  Without thinking, June raised her hand, aiming for his face. Instead of hitting its target, Bran caught her wrist, bending it back as far as it could without breaking the bone. Her breath caught, “I hate you.”

  His mouth pressed into a thin line and he dropped his grip. “The feeling is mutual. Sweet dreams, sister.”

  “Fuck you,” June spat as he retreated into his room, throwing up his middle finger. The sound of the door slamming resonated throughout the hall. Before Dale could come and investigate, June went inside her room, clutching her throbbing wrist.

  Falling into bed with her hunting clothes still on, June looked up at the ceiling and the remains of her childhood stared back. Above her were glow in the dark stars that Bran had helped her put up when she was nine.

  The truth about their mother’s death came to light when they were almost preteens. It had changed the both of them, and not for the better. Still, after everything he had done, June hoped that one day th
e real Bran would come back. Until then, all she could do was let the bittersweet memories replay in her mind as she drifted away from reality.

  /CHAPTER THREE/

  The air flew out of June’s lungs as she was slammed against the ground. Dazed, she stared up at the open blue sky for a second before a hand cut through her line of sight. Cautiously, she took it, only to flipped over onto her stomach with her arm twisted behind her back. June spat grass out of her mouth and breathlessly heaved, “Was that necessary?”

  “Very,” Dani replied shortly as her knee pressed down on June’s back, constricting airflow. “Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself alone, in trouble, with no weapons and no back up. Facing your opponent head on, you either fight or die.”

  June sucked in air as Dani removed her knee. Free, she stood up on shaking legs, making sure to keep a foot between the two of them as she said, “Actually, I would have a weapon. I’ve been told I’m pretty annoying and could make any hybrid go insane.”

  Dani’s hard expression cracked as her lips twitched. Shaking her head, she quickly regained composure. “This isn’t a joke, June. You don’t know what’s really out there.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” she questioned, eyeing Dani from head to toe. Her cousin didn’t look sick, nor was she acting like it, but June could tell something was off. Dani wasn’t one to usually give life advice. She kicked ass first and talked second.

  “Because it’s important and…and I won’t be around forever,” she shared, her voice wavering as she added, “you’re like a sister to me, June. I want, no, I need to know that you can take care of yourself.”

  She stared at her cousin for another minute before the puzzle pieces fell into place. Dani had always talked about leaving the complex. June had heard her say it a million times. One day, she would go for a supply run and wouldn’t come back. The complex would assume she was dead without second thought. Being a runner meant that outside the walls, a person was utterly alone and totally unprotected. Without the safety of numbers, anything could happen, be it a hybrid or a human attack.