Free The Change: Episode one by Angela White

differences.
    I had gotten only a quick
glance into his cell, but there was no way to mistake it here. He
was still taller than me, though not by as much now, and the hands
he had clenched at his lean hips, were big. Flames , hot and hungry, crept through
my mind.
    Rugged and wild, Daniel now had a pouty
mouth that with his lightly stubble-covered jaw, gave him a
secretive, sexy look… but it was the pain in those stunning blue
eyes that couldn’t be ignored. This wasn’t my twelve-year-old
playmate. This was a full-grown man… one I would play with, just
not in the same manner.
    I grinned.
    Daniel flinched back as if
I'd threatened him, and I understood in a blinding wave of agony
that smothered my rage. He didn't know who I was. He held no memory
of me! Of us!
    The pain came, sharp and fierce, and it sent
my eyes back to flat black, returned my control. I’d known he was
being hurt, but I’d been sure he had my promise to see him through.
It was crushing to find out otherwise. He’d been completely
alone.
    I moved toward the washroom to keep from
scaring him further by the sight of my pain on my bloody face. It
shouldn't have come as such a surprise, his not remembering me. It
had been nearly ten years, and I in no way resembled the girl he’d
known. Still, our bond had been strong enough for me to spend the
last decade training so that I could rescue him, and I scrubbed
away the filth from my last match with an aching heart that I
soothed as best I could.
    He was mine now, bought and
paid for in blood, and I had a lifetime to remind him of how close
we had been despite the poverty and callousness of his
family. And mine would help him
adjust, I thought, letting the hot water
beat away my pain. My parents had come together under similar
circumstances. My Mother’s photo was the one I'd admired in the
hall on my first day here, my Father, her prize. Pruetts had been
playing these games since before I was born, but I was determined
that our children
would not. It had to end somewhere.

Chapter Six

    Daniel
    I didn’t know what to expect when she turned
away. My previous… renters had attacked me the instant we were
alone, and her control was unexpected. Eyes tinted red, she was
clearly a Changeling. Why wasn’t she easing her pain at my expense,
like the others? I was braced to take it.
    I stared in confusion, vaguely noticing her
hair was so dark that it shined blue in the flickering light. She
was dripping blood, covered with it in places, and had a limp that
made me hurt for her a little. She’d gone through hell to win her
choice of the bachelors. Why me?
    She turned back, almost like she was
reassuring herself that I hadn’t run away, and I froze as a ghost
of old voices swept over me.
    “ When we grow up, you’ll
be mine?”
    “ Sure. I’ll love you and
the Change will go away.”
    “ I’ll love you, too, not
just for the painkiller.”
    “ I know. We’ll always be
together.”
    “ Yes.”
     
    I blinked, and the voices faded like they
always did. Why had this violent, tattooed woman triggered a flash
of the life I couldn’t remember? I’d dreamed of being chosen, of
finally having a loving owner and a true home, but deep down, I
hadn’t really thought I’d be picked.
    Hoping she wasn’t one of those who liked to
punish, I ignored the throbbing of my new mark to make sure she
found things okay when she came out. I couldn’t do anything about
the way I smelled until she gave me permission, but I was allowed
to straighten and cook. I hesitated to touch her things though, the
few I saw strewn around the room, and in my filthy condition there
was no way I could get near food. I settled for remaking the linens
on the couch where I’d been lying. There was nothing to do after
that, and the scent of my fear began filling the room.
     
    Candice
    It appeared he hadn’t moved when I stepped
from the washroom, and I paused in the doorway as I studied his
emotional state. He was fragile. From those