Free HISS by Kassanna Page B

I would hate to show him these pictures of you with that human boy you’re always at
    the student center with.” Jami’s mother dug into her bag and pulled out a stack of pictures. The images
    didn’t reflect two friends putting their head together to figure out a problem. Instead they portrayed
    lovers caught in a thrall of a secret meeting.
    Marree tossed them on the table. “Like Jami would believe that.”
    “I don’t know where you came from, and Loretta is tightlipped about your heritage, but do you
    really want to challenge me?” Cheryl cocked a thin brow. “Jamison will trust me. I’m his mother and
    I’ve always placed his wants ahead of my own. And he knows that. Even if he decides to stay with you
    he will always have the seed of doubt I’ve planted, and it will overshadow everything he does with
    your bastard baby. Just leave now and save yourself of having to do it a few years from now.” She
    leaned back in her seat. “I’ll let you think about it.”
    “Get out!” Marree’s stomach roiled. Vomit rose in her throat and she placed a protective hand over
    her belly. His mother’s laughter rankled.
    When the woman didn’t move, she marched to the other side of the room and started packing. If she
    spent any more time with Jamison’s mother, she might strangle the woman. She only took a few
    things, sure Jami would come and find her once he’d found out she’d left. Cheryl watched her from
    beady eyes, tracking her movements as she hurried about the area. Once she had her things packed she
    passed by the bitch without a second glance at her or her money. She waited, but Jami never came for
    her.
    She fell face first on the ground. Marree spit out the dirt and tried to wipe it off her tongue with her
    hand. A tart, foul, grainy substance spread across her taste buds and she lurched forward on her knees
    as her gut rebelled. What little she had in her stomach burned her throat as she puked. She staggered to
    her feet and wiped the hand across her mouth. Something scuttled through the leaves and she skipped
    to the side.
    Over the years Mais had tried to teach her how to track, and recently Sasha had begun to train her in
    self-defense moves. She would need both to get out of the situation she was in. Taking in a deep
    breath, she closed her eyes and focused on what was happening around her. Nocturnal creatures were
    making noise, so the smaller animals weren’t scared. She opened her eyes and lifted her arm to check
    her watch. In the dark she couldn’t make out the hands on the face of her time piece. She looked up.
    The half-moon was more than halfway past its zenith. It had to be early morning; four, maybe five
    a.m. If nothing had happened to Jami, he should be able to find her easily.
    She marched over to a tree and checked to see which side the any plant growth was on. That moss
    always grew on the North side so she would need to head in the opposite direction. Betaille should
    have been South of her. First, she needed to rest. She doubled over and placed her palms on her knees,
    sucking in short breathes. The soles of her feet throbbed where she had run over the debris that littered
    the ground.
    Though her form never changed, she was a shifter and more important, a snake. At least that’s what
    she’d always been told. Therefore she would handle this like her pride demanded. She hefted the
    clothing bundle over her shoulder and marched on. One way or another she would find her way out of
    the bog and not once did she doubt that Jamison was okay.

    * * * *
Kiele parked her rental truck behind the SUV. She would have never thought to take this road to the
    interstate. Whatever Jamison was up to, he must have been in a hurry. It would have taken forever to
    find him if she hadn’t stuck a tracker under his fender. With the ease of familiarity, she slipped out of
    her four by four and soundlessly stalked over to Jamison’s vehicle. Bullet holes riddled the driver’s
    side. She glanced