10 comments/ 21706 views/ 28 favorites Big Bad Karma Ch. 01 Sc. 01 By: darkgoddessnight Dear Readers, I know I promised you guys the next chapter, but with ideas for a whole new storyline, I had to go back and add stuff to the original in order for the new storyline to make sense. Please bear with me as I work on getting the next chapters out. I'm going to start writing in sections now, rather than chapters since I get so many complaints about my posts being too short. I'm aiming for roughly 10,700 words per post since I intend Big Bad Karma to be 70-75,000. I can't say when the next section will come out since I'm a plotter and perfectionist and have to look at everything through my character's eyes, but I will get it out as soon as possible. Thanks for all your support, DGN Kayla Morgan desperately needed to pee. That wouldn't have been such a big issue if she'd been anywhere near civilization. Problem was, the only thing she'd seen in the past hour that remotely resembled civilization was a decrepit looking gas station with a hand written gone fishin' sign hanging in the window. Gone fishin' my ass! I need to pee! Not to mention, her car was on the fritz. She scowled at the check engine light in irritation. The damn thing hadn't stopped beeping at her since her last turn some thirty minutes ago, and it showed no signs of stopping any time soon. It was a constant reminder that all she needed to make her weekend from hell complete was to break down in the middle of nowhere. The fact that her ninety-day warranty ran out less than a week ago added insult to injury. Pressing her thighs together -- as if that would help the situation any -- she glared at the directions she'd printed off of Google maps. She knew she'd followed every step to the letter, and yet, here she was, lost on some nameless rural road with nothing but barbed wire fences separating her from the forest beyond. Note to self: Invest in a GPS as soon as humanly possible. Annoyed, she crumpled up the useless scrap of paper and tossed it unceremoniously to the floorboard. It landed with a swish and rustle among three empty water bottles and a Starbuck's venti mochachino cup that she was trying hard not to think about. For what seemed like the hundredth time, she pulled out her cellphone and hit autodial only to get, "You are currently out of the service area. Please try your call again later." Snapping it closed in frustration, she barely managed to refrain from banging her head on the steering wheel. Call anyone from anywhere, anytime? Yeah, right! Other note to self: Switch cellphone companies as soon as you have service. Cursing, she flung the blasted thing to the passenger seat and tried to assess the situation from a logical perspective, which was becoming exceedingly more difficult considering that her bladder had somehow swapped places with her brain, and it was thinking rather loudly, "I need to pee!" This was all Phillip's stupid fault. She'd worked for the man going on three years now, and while he never acknowledged her in any way for the work she did, he somehow always managed to find more of it for her to do. This time, it was delivering paperwork out to one of their new clients who apparently couldn't wait until Monday or be bothered to find a damn fax machine. Not that anyone could find a fax machine out here, she thought, gazing out at the dense wall of trees rising up on either side of the road. In fact, by the way things looked, the guy probably didn't even know fax machines had been invented yet. Ugh! Why in the hell had she agreed to do this on her day off? To think, she could have been home right now, the remote in her hand, a bowl of popcorn in her lap, and the fricking bathroom right down the hall. Instead, she was lost in the Gods-only-knew-where in a car she wasn't entirely sure would make it another mile and had no way to call for help. And, her bladder/brain reminded her painfully, she really, really, really needed to pee. As far as she was concerned, it couldn't get much worse than that. She was just pulling off to the side of the road when her engine choked, then sputtered, and then finally gave out altogether. Her first response was to scream, "Damn it all to hell! What else can go wrong?!" Her second response was to bite her tongue and wish she hadn't just said that. Crossing her fingers, she hoped beyond all hope that she hadn't just invoked Murphy's law. What can go wrong, will was a phrase she was quickly coming to despise, and one that was sadly becoming her personal motto. She planned to put it on her business card just as soon as she made it home. Taking a deep, cleansing breath that did absolutely nothing to soothe her, she added her broke down Taurus to her ever-growing list of problems. Right now, though, she had a bigger problem to worry about, and if she didn't do something about it soon, it would be all over her newly detailed interior. At this point, she figured she had three options. Option One: She could wet herself, which might very well happen if she didn't come up with another solution soon. Option Two: She could squat behind the car and pray there weren't any other idiots lost on this road who might happen to drive by and see her. Or, Option Three: She could venture into the relative privacy of the woods. On that last thought, she glanced towards the forest. Aside from the barbed wire fence with the giant black and neon orange 'KEEP OUT' sign affixed to it, it really didn't look all that imposing. Alrighty then. Option Three it was. She paused just long enough to grab a flashlight from the glove compartment before hopping out of the car and closing the door. Switching it on, she headed towards the woods. She was pretty sure she'd seen this scene in a horror movie last week. Young, unsuspecting, beautiful -- yes, beautiful, damn it! -- woman breaks down in the middle of nowhere and goes into the forest only to get hacked to death by a psycho chainsaw serial murderer. That wouldn't happen to her though, or at least, that's what she told herself to make herself feel better. First of all, she wasn't a ditzy, blonde college coed on her way to Daytona Beach for spring break. Secondly, she wasn't a screamer, and as anyone who had ever watched a horror movie knew, the bad guys always went for the screamers. She shimmied through a narrow gap in the fence, her eyes still glued to the car. Even if she wasn't a screaming, blonde college coed, it was better to be safe than sorry, right? As long as she kept the car in sight, then the worst thing that could happen to her was poison ivy on her posterior, and while that wouldn't exactly be a day in the park, it was certainly better than getting hacked to death by a psycho chainsaw serial murderer. Stop it, Kayla! You're giving yourself the heebie jeebies! Try as she might, she just couldn't shake the chilly feeling she got as she stepped through the first strand of trees. Seriously, what was she thinking going into the deep, dark woods all alone at night with nothing but a flashlight for protection? Her bladder did a painful sort of flop in her abdomen. Oh yeah. That was why. The terrain was rough -- her stupid heels didn't help matters much one bit, either -- but she managed to quickly pick her way through it until she came across a suitable tree to pee on. Huh. A suitable tree to pee on... That was certainly the last thing she ever thought she'd have to think about. It gave her a whole new appreciation for the wonders of modern plumbing. By the time she ducked behind it and yanked her slacks down, she was practically doing the potty dance. Thank Gods! She couldn't help letting out a long sigh of relief. In fact, she was pretty sure her bladder was letting out a sigh of relief, too. Another few seconds and her pants would have been declared a national park. Old Faithful beware! Stupid Phillip. She was never going to do something like this for him again. Never, never, never! Well, maybe not never, considering she wanted to keep her job and all, but this was ridiculous, and on her day off to boot! No one -- and by no one, she meant especially not her -- should have to pee in the woods on their day off. Ever. Grumbling her annoyance, she jerked her pants back up and started towards the car. The creepy forest was really starting to get to her now that she didn't have an urgent matter demanding her full attention. It was her own damn fault, though, thinking about scary movies at a time like this. It was beginning to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. No worries. In just a few minutes she'd be out of the forest and into the relative safety of her broke down car. Crap... She'd nearly forgotten about that small detail in her haste to use the bathroom. There was no telling how long she'd be stranded out here in Nowheresville. It wasn't like anyone was going to come looking for her. She didn't have any family, and the closest thing she had to friends were people she played video games with on the Internet. Phillip might get worried when she didn't show up to work on Monday, but that was only because she was his most competent worker. He'd probably just think she'd quit -- which she was seriously considering doing after this fiasco -- and call the temp agency for a replacement. Her stomach suddenly growled, drawing her abruptly out of her train of thought. She was really wishing now that she hadn't skipped dinner. Phillip had called right as she was pulling out last night's leftovers, and she had shoved them back in the fridge like a good little peon, ready to do his stupid bidding. Now that she thought about it, she really hated being a peon. She paused when she heard it again, and this time came to the conclusion that it wasn't her stomach after all. A twig snapped from somewhere behind her, and she whirled around fast enough to make her head spin. A bush rustled ominously, just like in that stupid, freaky, scary movie. Thinking the worst, she prepared to run for her life. Two seconds later, a rabbit burst through the underbrush, startling an ear-piercing shriek from her throat. Yeah, she'd definitely lied to herself about not being a screamer. It took her a moment or two to process what had just happened, and when she finally did, a laugh burbled up from somewhere between her straining lungs and pounding heart. Dear Gods, she'd been scared of a fluffy, little bunny! Well, at least it wasn't a Monty Python bunny of doom. Where was a holy hand grenade when she needed one? Shaking her head at herself, she started back towards the car. The creepy woods didn't seem quite so creepy anymore. It wasn't like the bunny was going to come back and attack her. In fact, she was pretty sure it was more scared of her than she was of it. Besides, after the scare she just had, she seriously doubted anything else could go wrong. Famous last words. She stopped dead in her tracks when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and swung around to shine her flashlight on it. A bush rustled ominously, again, which meant that it had to be another bunny, right? Wrong. All she could make out through the dense brush was a pair of glowing amber eyes that rapidly materialized into the shadowy form of a wolf. Being a nature channel junkie, Kayla knew she wasn't supposed to run, but back slowly away, from wild animals. Unfortunately, her brain wasn't functioning at the moment because her fight-or-flight response had kicked into overdrive, and she was definitely flying. She'd taken track in school, but a fat lot of good it did her now. It wasn't so much that she was out of shape, but that the terrain was so terribly rough and uneven, and that her flashlight did absolutely nothing to light her way when it was swinging back and forth with her flailing arms. Every step she took felt like a mile -- Gods, why hadn't she worn more sensible shoes?! -- and the muscles in her legs were already cramping from exertion. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, her lungs burned for air, but the adrenaline in her blood and fear for her life made her run all that much faster. Where the hell was her car? On that note, where the hell was the road?! Crap! In her terror, she'd run in the wrong direction, and now she was completely turned around. If she ever got out of this alive, she swore to all the Powers-That-Be that she'd never go into a dark forest alone at night again. She leapt over a rock the size of a pumpkin that suddenly appeared in her path and was counting it as a small victory until her heel snapped a second later. She went hurtling to the ground, her flashlight went soaring through the air, and as if her day couldn't possibly get any worse, she smacked her head on the trunk of a tree on her way down. Feels like oak, she mused dazedly as stars danced on the fringes of her vision, but she didn't really have time to contemplate what type of tree she'd just bludgeoned herself on. She scrambled to her feet only to stumble and fall when a wave of dizziness assailed her. Signs of a concussion 101, she vaguely remembered from her high school first aide training. She'd be damned if she'd be completely helpless, though, and quickly grabbed the biggest stick she could find. Sadly, it wasn't that big, but maybe the big, bad wolf would want to play fetch? Rolling over, she tried to sit up, but only made it to her elbows. It was time to face facts. She was going to be killed and eaten by a wolf in a creepy forest in the middle of bum-screwed nowhere. It wasn't exactly how she'd pictured dying, but hey, at least it would make for an interesting obituary. She heard something approaching. Something big and scary, with gigantic claws, fangs dripping with drool, and a taste for human flesh. It was at times like these that she really wished she didn't have such an overactive imagination. Gulping, she braced herself for the worst. The worst didn't come. Instead, something akin to perfection stepped out of the woods and came towards her. Dear Gods, I've died and gone to the Summerlands. Either that, or she was hallucinating. At this point, she couldn't be sure which. The God -- because that was the only thing she could bring herself to describe him as -- was Adonis personified. Rich chestnut-brown hair curled around an angular face and dusted broad shoulders. His tanned chest was chiseled like marble with all sorts of interesting dips and curves and a sprinkling of fine, dark hair that her fingers were just itching to touch. By the time her eyes landed on his eight-pack -- an actual, honest to Gods eight-pack! -- her mouth was watering, and it continued to water as she followed a curly treasure trail to... Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. Dear Gods, he wasn't wearing any pants! Yup, she had definitely died and gone to the Summerlands. Not that she had any personal experience with the male anatomy, but she'd seen pictures, and that wasn't like anything she remembered from her textbooks. And he wasn't even aroused! That thought came to her a bit late, and not with a small amount of disappointment. If she were a guy, she probably wouldn't be aroused by her either. Especially considering the state she was in. Sweaty, injured, and wearing half the forest floor on her hair and clothes to be precise. Yeah, real attractive, Kayla. Hopefully, you won't have to look like this the whole time you're in heaven. Suddenly self--conscious, her face heated up, which only served to add to her dizziness and confusion. Was she spinning? Or was it the forest? Somehow, it didn't seem to matter much right now. The earth beneath her felt like a magnet, dragging her down, and she was too damn tired to resist anymore. The man of her dreams was standing there butt naked, and she couldn't even muster enough strength to jump his sexy bones. Wow. Heaven was really starting to disappoint her. Oh well, she sighed inwardly, maybe tomorrow, and that was the last thought her muddled mind managed to process before unconsciousness towed her under. Big Bad Karma Ch. 01 Sc. 01 "What are you going to do with her, Uncle Evander?" Kaden asked, his quiet, concern-tinged voice snapping him out of his momentary sister-killing fantasy. Good question. What was he going to do with her? He couldn't just leave her here. She'd probably die of her own stupidity, and there was that swarm of humans he was trying to avoid. And he wasn't about to take her to the authorities because that would just end with him having to fill out more paperwork. He let out a long suffering sigh that sounded more like a mix between a huff and a growl. "We'll take her back to the den," he said after a moment of deliberation. "Let the healers patch her up, then figure out what to do with her later." He knelt on one knee beside her, fully intent on picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes when a glint of silver caught his eye. Anger flashed through him when he recognized it for what it was. An Alpha medallion. Superimposed over a stylized full moon was the image of a howling wolf, and engraved around its edges in the Lycan language were the words, "When day turns to night, may the light of your heart banish the shadows that the moonlight cannot reach." Alpha's were bestowed these medallions upon rising to power. What Alpha this particular one belonged to, he didn't know, least of all, how a human had come into possession of it, but he aimed to find out. He bent over her, determined to remove the necklace from her throat without breaking her neck in the process, when the wind changed directions and wafted her scent to his nose. He froze in his task, unconsciously breathing her in. Mmm. She smelled like moonlight and magic, and secrets yet to be revealed, and something... something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it was -- he sniffed again, inhaling deeply -- intoxicating. His wolf suddenly surged to the surface in response, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed to force it back down. What the fuck? He hadn't lost control of his wolf since he was a hormonal teenager chasing after his first piece of tail, and even then, he hadn't been affected like this. Every instinct in his body was raging at him. He could feel his fangs elongating, his skin tingling with the need to shift. What the hell was wrong with him? His mind went into overdrive trying to come up with a reasonable explanation, but the only one that fit was... No, it couldn't be. It was impossible. She was human. His wolf didn't care. Leaning over her, he dragged his nose across her neck, nostrils flaring and eyes glowing greenish gold. It was almost hidden beneath flowery perfume, citrus shampoo, and powder fresh deodorant, but it was most certainly, undeniably there. This woman -- this fragile, injured, human woman -- was his mate. Injured. The reminder had him scooping her up in his arms and dashing off towards the den, leaving a confused Kaden to follow along in his tracks. A myriad of questions began ramming themselves through his brain -- Who was she? How was it possible for a human to be his mate? Why did she have an Alpha medallion? Why couldn't they have met under better circumstances? -- but he didn't have time to reflect on any of them. Right now, the only thing that mattered was her safety. Damn it! Why hadn't he realized sooner? He could have had her to the den and healed by now if he hadn't wasted so many precious minutes. He picked up the pace, and then slowed down -- just barely -- when she let out an agonized moan. His heart clenched in sympathy. His speed was jarring her, undoubtedly causing her undue pain, but there was no helping it. He had to get her to safety now. Minutes later, the cabins came into view, but the closer to the den he got, the more protective he felt. His wolf hovered right beneath the surface, ready to break free and strike at the slightest provocation. He knew there'd be no way to stop it if it did. A whole mix of emotions, elation and anger, lust and worry, had him perched precariously on the edge of no return. No wonder newly mated males were so damn pissy all the time. He stepped into the clearing and headed straight for his cabin, trying, and failing miserably, to ignore the pack members who were outside enjoying the night. A number of heads, both lupine and human, shot up as he sprinted past, noses scenting the air. If he hadn't been so wound up, he would have realized this was something new to them, and they were merely curious. The Alpha of the Peirce Pack didn't just go around carrying unconscious human strangers into the den. What they didn't know was that he was going to kill the first person who so much as looked at him wrong. He growled a warning, just loud enough to get his point across, and the stares, thankfully, became less obvious. He stopped abruptly as a figure stepped into his line of sight and growled louder, fully incapable of preventing the sound from emerging from his throat, though his rational mind realized the young female omega posed no threat to him or his mate. She lowered her eyes submissively, and though she was trembling from fear, moved forward to open his cabin door. If he'd been able to, he would have thanked her for the kindness. Instead, he rushed inside and headed straight for his bedroom. As gently as he could, he lowered her to his bed. It comforted his wolf somewhat to know she was there -- where she belonged -- but it did little to ease his worry. She was so pale and lifeless, so vulnerable. He didn't want to leave her. Every instinct in his body warred with his good judgment over whether to stay and protect his defenseless mate or leave to find help. Thankfully, reason stomped his instincts down in a matter of seconds. He didn't have to go far. Evander was just opening the door when he literally ran into, or more accurately, plowed over, Matthias, the pack's lead healer. His first instinct was to rip the man's throat out. Healer or not, he was a male near his cabin where his newly found mate lay unconscious. He bared his teeth, his expression feral. Ever muscle in his body tensed, ready to spring. Matthias instantly assumed a submissive position. His eyes lowered and shoulders slumped. He tilted his head to the side, baring his throat. Not a threat, his wolf concluded quickly which allowed his rational mind to leap back to the forefront. "She needs help," he managed to say once he regained control of his vocal chords. Not willing to wait for a response, he hurried back inside to be with her. Matthias followed quietly behind and stopped to stand in the doorway of the bedroom. Evander wondered why he was taking so damn long. His mate needed help. Now. It took him a moment to realize he was growling and pacing like a caged animal. He stopped in midstride and took a long, deep breath before nodding towards the healer. With that gesture, Matthias slowly approached the bed. Evander had to choke back another growl. He didn't like it. There was only enough room in here for his testosterone level, which was currently skyrocketing through the roof. The addition of the healer's hormones was enough to make him foam at the mouth. His mate let out a breathless whimper, snapping him back into the current situation and reminding him of exactly why Matthias was there. "I'm going to need to touch her," the healer told him, his voice quiet and measured, almost soothing. Evander gave a jerky nod. No wonder there were so few male healers. It would have given him a whole new appreciation of Matthias' dedication to healing if he hadn't been so stressed. As it was, he was watching the other male with a murderous eye, ready to turn his offending hand into a bloody stump should he do anything he didn't like to his female. Matthias inched closer to the bed, just close enough to lay his palm on her forehead. A pale blue glow immediately encompassed his hand and spread slowly over his mate's face and head. "She has a severe concussion," he said at length, sounding slightly pained. Evander barely heard him. His eyes were flicking between his mate, whose head wound was already showing signs of healing, to Matthias, whose forehead was beginning to bruise. He absently remembered once finding empathic healing fascinating, but right now, he just wanted the process to be over. After a good thirty minutes -- which felt like no less than an eternity -- the healer broke contact. He was pale and trembling, and his breath came in short, heavy pants. "I've done all I can, my Alpha," he said weakly. "She still has some bruising, and is going to have a headache when she wakes up, but I don't suggest giving her anything for it until you know if she has any allergies." "Thank you," Evander said, though his attention was now fixated on his mate's face. The bloody knot that had been there mere moments ago was all but gone now. The only visible reminder that it had ever existed was a large purple bruise that stretched from her left temple to the middle of her forehead. Now that she was no longer in immediate danger, his wolf calmed quickly and retreated for the time being to the back of his mind. "How long will she sleep?" he asked absently, gently caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers. "I can't be sure, my Alpha. It may take her body time to process the trauma she just had. No more than eight hours, I imagine. Maybe less. Maybe more." It wasn't the answer he was looking for, but it was good enough for now. Without another word, he slid into bed and wrapped an arm protectively around her middle. Her lips parted on the whisper of a sigh, and he smiled, content for now to simply hold her. "My Alpha?" At Matthias' tentative query, Evander glanced over his shoulder to look at him. "Yes?" "I think you should know... There's something very odd about her, at least physiologically." "What do you mean?" "I'm not sure, my Alpha. Her energy is very... different from everyone else I've ever healed, her being a human, notwithstanding." Evander's brow furrowed in thought. Taking a good look at his mate, he couldn't distinguish anything remarkable about her. Her scent, as appealing to him as it was, smelled completely normal for a human. Her features were pleasant to look at, but didn't strike him as anything unusual. "My Alpha?" Matthias said again, and Evander found himself growing impatient. "Yes?" "Congratulations on finding your mate. May your years be blessed with happiness and your den with many cubs." Evander couldn't have stopped the grin from spreading across his face if he had wanted to. "Thank you, Matthias." "You are most welcome, my Alpha. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave." Nodding his assent, Evander turned back to his mate and buried his nose in her hair. Somehow, in less than an hour, she'd managed to completely complicate his life. He could only imagine what she'd do to it once she was awake. Big Bad Karma Ch. 01 Sc. 01 No, he thought grimly. Death. Blood. Vengeance. It most certainly did not. The voice in his head receded to a mutinous din, giving his own thoughts a chance to be heard, but they were no better. He'd known it would only be a matter of time before the demon resurfaced. After the last witch, he'd dared to hope the end of his curse was near, but hope only bred disappointment, and disappointment, self-loathing. He hadn't thought he could possibly hate himself more than he already did, but after too many years of uninterrupted brewing time, hate no longer seemed like a strong enough word. There wasn't a word in his vocabulary that was. Death. Blood. Vengeance. The demon's awakening could only mean one thing. The last witch of the Morgan line was finally coming into her powers. It should have happened sooner -- much sooner -- but her mother had been a crafty one and bound her magic so tightly that not even the demon could sniff her out. It didn't change anything, though. It might have bought her some time, but time didn't amount to much in the scheme of things. She was weak, vulnerable, and unprotected. In his experience, an untrained witch was about as dangerous as a hatchling dragon. It had potential, but without experience, it was little more than a lizard with bad breath. Soon, he'd douse her spark, and then he'd finally be free. Free. It had been so long since he'd actually experienced freedom that he barely remembered what it felt like. He knew he wanted it though, wanted it so badly he could almost taste it despite the bitter smoke of sulfur that rose in the back of his throat and drifted unimpeded from his nose. The demon's awful glee shuddered through him as the image of a young woman flashed into his head. Terror filled her wide lavender eyes and painted her pale face with tears. He felt sorry for her, just like he had all the others, but it didn't matter. No matter how much guilt he felt over her impending doom, she'd still die, and he'd be responsible. No, it was better to bury the pain and detach himself from the situation so he wouldn't lose his mind. He couldn't be completely certain that he hadn't already. Like molten lava pumping through his veins, the demon's influence began burning through him in earnest. He'd been through it enough times before to know not to fight it, but basic human instinct could not be denied. He strained to prevent it, to make it stop, but it was a futile endeavor. Not only couldn't he move, but nothing could stop the demon once it decided on a course of action. Not a witch trying to save her village from destruction, nor the human cage to which it had been banished. In his mind, he cried out a fervent prayer, but it was more out of habit than any type of faith. His prayers had gone too long unanswered for him to believe in anything other than darkness and suffering. He knew it would only get worse once the demon reestablished its power and took complete control. Luckily, it wouldn't be too much longer before it was finally over. After a thousand years of torment, of guilt so deep and unrelenting it left scars in what was left of his soul, he'd be released from his curse. No, he thought as the demon's ungodly laughter filled his head, it wouldn't be much longer at all. Death. Blood. Vengeance. Freedom. <<<<>>>> Kayla woke with a start and quickly wished she hadn't. Gods, how much did she have to drink last night? It was a logical but stupid question considering that she never drank, but she imagined this was exactly what a hangover would feel like, and she didn't like it one bit. Where the hell was an aspirin when she needed one? Clutching her head in agony, she managed to roll to her side. It was a feat in and of itself, and sapped what little energy she had. Cringing, she buried her head against the pillow and prayed for a miracle. If something didn't happen soon, she just knew her head was going to explode, and she was pretty sure she didn't want that to happen. If she could just get her eyes to open so she could stumble to the bathroom, she would probably be okay. If not, then she'd feel sorry for the person who'd have to clean her brain matter off the walls. She succeeded in prying one eye open -- a significant accomplishment on her part -- and was almost surprised when she actually survived the attempt. Her brow furrowed in confusion, an action she immediately regretted when pain shot like burning needles into her brain. Why was it so damn dark in here? Normally, she left the hallway light on, and even when she didn't, her neighbor's outdoor light would shine through her bedroom window whether she wanted it to or not. Ugh, it was just her fricking bad luck that there would be a power outage at a time like this. Why did this kind of crap always have to happen to her? She groped blindly for the candle she kept on the bedside table, but found nothing but air. So she tried again. And again. Nope, still wasn't there. Where the hell was her fricking table with her fricking candle and her fricking lamp, which was currently useless because of the fricking power outage? Yeah, she wasn't feeling particularly creative today. Annoyed with herself and her predicament, she sat up, or rather, she tried to sit up, but considering that her world tilted dizzily on its axis, she decided she'd be better off just lying back down. Alrighty then. Her head would just have to explode. She just wished it would happen already so she could get it over with. The pain was really starting to get on her nerves. Something -- a large, warm, muscly something that she quickly realized was an arm -- suddenly wrapped around her middle and dragged her tight against a big, hard wall that she could only assume was a chest. She was so shocked at first that she couldn't even react to the fact that there was a stranger in her bed. It didn't help matters much that her response time was critically impaired by her nonexistent hangover either. Don't panic. Don't panic. DON'T PANIC!!! Too late. She was panicking long before her mind provided her with that pointless litany. Her heart thudded hard in her chest, and she was practically hyperventilating. At least the adrenaline rush helped with her headache, but at a time like this, she couldn't really find any gratitude for small blessings. Why was there a man in her bed? Her overactive imagination supplied her with a number of scenarios, none of which made any sense at all. Think, Kayla, think! What was the last thing she remembered? Okay, she closed up the office on Friday and was looking forward to a long weekend of vegging out in front of the T.V. That's right, there was going to be a movie marathon on the Sci-Fi channel, and she was planning to spend the whole day watching it. Then Phillip had called... What the hell had he wanted? Oh yeah, deliver paperwork to a new client in the middle of nowhere. A torrential flood of memories suddenly drowned her brain, causing her to smother a gasp. She remembered needing to pee, her car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, a Monty Python bunny of doom attacking her, and then a wolf chasing her through the forest like she was little red riding hood. Did she have the worst luck ever, or what? But that still didn't explain why there was a man in her bed. Wait, she'd hit her head, hadn't she? Maybe she had selective amnesia. Yeah, that had to be it. Maybe she managed to find help, get gas for her car, went home, and... picked up a guy? Said guy stirred behind her, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. She couldn't be sure who he was, why he was in her bed, or, for that matter, what they had done together -- she shuddered at the thought -- but one thing was for certain, and that was she needed to get away from him. Then she could squash the little birdies flying around her head so she could figure out what the hell was going on. As quietly as she could, she slid out from beneath his arm and climbed to her feet. The stupid power outage made it impossible to see, but she figured she had a clear path to the door. She took two steps -- one and a half if you wanted to get technical -- and walked right into a wall. She stared at it dazedly -- not that she could actually see it in the dark -- and wondered who exactly had the audacity to put a wall in her path. As a practical joke, it would have been pretty damn funny, but considering the gravity of her current situation, she was not amused. It took her all of ten seconds to realize this was not her bedroom. Oh Gods! Had she been kidnapped? Drugged? Taken advantage of? With her mind jumping to all sorts of outrageous conclusions, she went from practically hyperventilating to completely freaking out. A creak came from the bed, alerting her to the fact that her kidnapper -- or whatever he was -- had moved. She spun around to face him, ready to defend herself if she had to, but what she saw completely unnerved her. Glowing green eyes pierced the darkness, and they were staring straight at her. At that point, she did the only rational thing her terrified brain could come up with. She screamed. Big Bad Karma Ch. 01 Sc. 01 Big Bad Karma Ch. 01 Sc. 02 Author's Note: Hi everyone! I just wanted to say thanks for all the comments you've given me and to apologize for the shortness of the postings. I'm posting by scene because I have a bad habit of going back five chapters ahead and wanting to change something integrally important for the continuance of the story. That being said, most scenes are at least 5-6 pages in Microsoft word or more, and because I'm currently on chapter three, I should be posting scenes fairly regularly as I get them perfected. Thanks again! DGN Great. Just fucking great. It wasn't like he needed an injured human on top of all the other shit piled up on his proverbial plate, but there she was, sprawled unconscious on his forest floor with a lump the size of Texas on her fucking forehead. If it was up to him -- and it was because he was Alpha -- he'd simply leave her where she lay and forget he'd ever seen her. It would serve her right for trespassing on his property and then being stupid enough to get herself hurt in the process. But the problem with that was that someone would eventually come looking for her, and that would mean a swarm of humans running amuck in his territory which would seriously piss him off. He growled in frustration. This was all his sister's fault. If she hadn't been so damn insistent, he wouldn't have even been here this weekend. None of them would have been. But it had been over a year since his pack and hers had gotten together, and she wanted to keep 'connected', plus, she was pregnant and whiney which made him say yes just to shut her up. Now he wished he hadn't given in so easily. Life would have been so much easier if he was at home taking care of the ever growing mountain of paperwork on his desk. Instead, he had to deal with an injured, unconscious, human female which was not only straining his already aggravated mood, but would probably result in more fucking paperwork. He scanned the tree line. It didn't take him long to pinpoint his nephew, Kaden, who was standing solemnly nearby, his expression flitting between guilt and concern. How he'd gotten wrangled into babysitting duty, he had no idea, but he was fairly certain it had something to do with his brother wanting to spend some 'quality' time with his sister. His growl turned into a menacing rumble that had the youth's eyes snapping up and then back down in submission. "Could you please explain to me what the hell just happened?" he asked, waving a disgusted hand towards his newest source of frustration. Kaden didn't look up as he spoke but kept his eyes firmly rooted on a spot right in front of his feet. Smart boy. "I was chasing a rabbit when I smelled her on the edge of the forest, so I went to investigate. When she saw me, she took off running, and I guess she tripped and hit her head. I'm really sorry, Uncle Evander. I honestly didn't mean to scare her." Evander waved off the apology with a mental sweep of his hand. It wasn't the kid's fault. Humans were just stupid that way and had horrible instincts. If Kaden hadn't been there, she would have probably gotten spooked by her own shadow and ended up in the same predicament. "What was she doing here?" Kaden shifted uncomfortably under his probing gaze. "Um...peeing?" "Peeing?" The boy nodded, his face turning redder than a cherry in July. "You were spying on her?" "Well, I hadn't intended to... It just sort of happened that way." Evander pinched the bridge of his nose in a desperate attempt to fend off the headache that was quickly building up behind his eyes. It would be fun, his sister had said. It would be relaxing and enjoyable and a whole host of other pleasant things. Gods, had she ever been wrong, and he was going to let her know it the moment he saw her if he didn't strangle the life from her first. "What are you going to do with her, Uncle Evander?" Kaden asked, his quiet voice tinged with concern. Good question. What was he going to do with her? He couldn't just leave her here. She'd probably die of her own stupidity, and there was that swarm of humans he was trying to avoid. And he wasn't about to take her to the authorities because that would just result in more paperwork that he really didn't want to fill out. He let out a sigh that sounded more like a mix between a huff and a growl. "We'll take her back to the den," he said after a moment of deliberation. "Let the healers patch her up and then figure out what to do with her after that." He knelt on one knee beside her, fully intent on picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes when her scent wafted to his nose. Mmm. She smelled like moonlight and magic, and secrets yet to be revealed and something... something he just couldn't quite put his finger on, but it was -- he sniffed again, inhaling deeply - intoxicating. His wolf suddenly surged to the surface in response, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed to force it back down. What the fuck? He hadn't lost control of his wolf since he was a hormonal teenager chasing after his first piece of tail, and even then, he hadn't been affected like this. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him. He could feel his fangs elongating, his skin tingling with the need to shift. What the hell was wrong with him? His mind went into overdrive trying to come up with a reasonable explanation, but the only one that fit was... No, it couldn't be. It was impossible. She was human. His wolf didn't seem to care. Leaning over her, he dragged his nose across her neck, nostrils flaring and eyes glowing greenish gold. It was almost hidden beneath flowery perfume, citrus shampoo, and powder fresh deodorant, but it was most certainly, undeniably there. This woman -- this fragile, injured, human woman -- was his mate. Injured. The reminder had him scooping her up in his arms and dashing off towards the den, leaving a confused Kaden to follow along in his tracks. A myriad of questions began ramming through his brain, but he didn't have time to reflect on any of them. The only thing that mattered right now was getting her to safety. Gods, she was like a ragdoll in his arms, so limp and lifeless that he was almost afraid she was already dead. Damn it! Why hadn't he realized sooner? He could have had her to the den and healed already if he hadn't wasted so many precious minutes. He picked up the pace, and then slowed down -- just barely - when she let out an agonized moan. His speed was jarring her, and undoubtedly causing her undue pain, but there was no help for it. He had to get her to safety now. Less than two minutes later, the cabins came into view. The closer he got, the more protective he felt. His wolf hovered right beneath the surface, ready to break free at the slightest provocation, and he knew there'd be no way for him to stop it. A whole mix of emotions, from elation to anger, lust to worry, all had him close to the edge of no return. It gave him a new understanding of why newly mated males were so damn pissy all the time. He stepped into the clearing and headed straight for his cabin trying, and failing miserably, to ignore the pack members who were outside enjoying the night. A number of heads, both lupine and human, shot up as he sprinted past. He growled a warning, just loud enough to get his point across, and the stares ceased immediately though their curiosity was still a tangible scent on the air. He stopped abruptly as a figure stepped into his line of sight and growled louder, fully incapable of preventing the sound from emerging from his throat even though his rational mind realized the young female omega was not a threat. She lowered her eyes submissively, and though she was trembling with fear, stepped forward to open his cabin door. If he'd been able to, he would have thanked her for the kindness. Instead, he rushed inside and headed towards his bedroom. As gently as he could, he lowered her to his bed. It comforted his wolf somewhat to know she was there -- where she belonged -- but it did little to ease his worry. She was so pale and motionless, her chest barely rising and falling with her breath. He didn't want to leave her. Every instinct in his body warred with his good judgment over whether to stay and protect his defenseless mate or to go find help. Thankfully, reason stomped his instincts down in a matter of seconds. He didn't have to go far. Evander was just opening the door when he literally ran into, or, more accurately, plowed over Mathias, the pack's lead healer. His first instinct was to rip the man's throat out. Healer or not, he was a male near his cabin where his newly found mate lay unconscious. He bared his teeth, his expression feral and every muscle in his body tensing, ready to spring. Mathias quickly assumed a submissive position, eyes lowering, shoulders slumping. Not a threat, his wolf concluded quickly, which allowed his rational mind to leap back to the forefront. "She needs help," he managed to say once he regained control of his vocal cords, and hurried back into the house to be with her. Mathias followed quietly behind and only entered the bedroom when Evander calmed down enough to give him leave to do so. The healer moved slowly, ever watchful of the Alpha's tenuous mood, and approached the bed where the young woman was sprawled. Evander had to choke back another growl. He didn't like it. There was only enough room in here for his testosterone level, which was currently skyrocketing through the roof. The addition of Mathias' hormones was enough to make him foam at the mouth. His mate let out a breathless whimper, snapping him back into the current situation and reminding him of exactly why the healer was there. "I'm going to need to touch her," Mathias told him, his voice quiet and measured, almost soothing. Evander gave a jerky nod. No wonder there were so few male healers. It would have given him a new appreciation of Mathias' devotion to healing if he hadn't been so wound up. As it was, he was watching the male with a murderous eye, ready to turn his offending hand into a bloody stump should he do anything he didn't like to his female. Mathias inched closer to the bed, just close enough to touch the unconscious woman's forehead. A pale blue glow immediately encompassed his hand and spread slowly over his patient's face and head. "She's got a severe concussion," he told the Alpha at length, his voice slightly pained. Evander barely heard him. His eyes were flicking between his mate, whose head wound was already beginning to heal, to Matthias, whose forehead was starting to bruise. The alpha remembered once finding empathic healing fascinating. Right now, however, he just wished the healer would hurry up with the process. After a good thirty minutes -- which felt like no less than an eternity to Evander -- Mathias broke contact. He was breathing heavily and trembling with exhaustion. "I've done as much as I can, my Alpha," he said in a respectful, though weak, voice. "She still has some bruising and is going to have a headache when she wakes up, but I don't suggest giving her anything for it until you know if she has any allergies." "Thank you," Evander managed to say, though his eyes were now fixated on his mate's face. The bloody knot that had been there mere moments ago was all but gone now. The only reminder that it had ever existed was a large purple bruise that stretched from her left temple to the middle of her forehead. His wolf calmed down quickly now that she was safe and well, and retreated for the time being to the back of his mind. "How long will she sleep?" "I can't be sure, my Alpha. It may take her body a while to process the trauma she's just been through. No more than eight hours, I imagine. Maybe less, maybe more." It wasn't the answer he was looking for, but it was good enough for now. Ignoring the healer, he slid into bed next to his mate and wrapped his arm protectively around her middle. Full body contact gave him a momentary surge of lust, but luckily, it didn't last long. For the moment, he'd be content to hold her. Tomorrow, however, would be a whole different story.