Read Online The Harvest (Book 1) by Anne Ferretti - Free Book Online Page A

changed that, her decisions became unclear for the first time ever. Exacerbating the situation was the voice often chose to be silent, refusing to answer her questions or provide advice. On many occasions she felt befuddled as if walking about in a fog.
    This lack of clarity kept her from telling Austin of his father’s impending demise. But she had fully expected him to be thrilled knowing the monster was gone from his life. Austin’s reaction towards her afterwards was unexpected and confusing. He’d shut her out of his mind, out of his life, directing all of his pain and anger at her. She’d thought he blamed her for his father’s death, but in truth the old man was all he had, and in his child’s mind this was better than not having anyone.
    On that occasion the isolation of her existence had suffocated her, had silently crept into her world and inflicted upon her an indescribable feeling of pressure in her chest, the sensation of someone squeezing the life from her. If she had described this feeling to Austin, he would have understood.
    Not knowing what else to do, she escaped her discomfort by retreating to Northern Siberia, a place more remote than Deadbear. A place she was sure to not find a single human being. There she remained for months, starving her mind and body until her will once again belonged solely to her. She’d triumphed over the longing, forcing the desire for Austin’s companionship from her. From then on she vowed to pursue only those things primal to her survival.
    All this was a long time ago and such pursuits no longer mattered in her current state of captivity. She rolled off the narrow bed and stood up inside her prison. A square glass box that hung suspended from the ceiling inside an expansive empty room. The walls of the room were made of concrete that never stopped perspiring. Massive concrete pillars held up the solid granite ceiling above.
    Men she’d managed to avoid for centuries had been allowed to capture her for reasons she did not understand, despite it being her decision to be caught. Not all things she decided were done so by her own free will. Instinct drove her to act or react in a manner that, in the end, always secured and to some great degree guaranteed her survival. She considered her instincts and the voice to be interchangeable, one in the same, for more accurate words never came to mind.
    She looked out across room at the heavy metal door, the only way in or out of the room. The general was coming to visit and he was bringing a meal. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath through her nostrils. Her nose crinkled. Her eyes snapped open. The sniveler, his scent undeniable, was coming as well. She despised the sniveler more than any human she’d ever encountered and upon her departure she planned to discover if he tasted as sweet as he smelled.
    The door opened. She could see the general held a plastic bag containing dark red liquid. Her vena sera. The scent permeated into the box making her mouth go dry from longing. He waited too many days between feedings, to the point she felt light headed, but she always stood steady before them. She hated being weak. She hated them seeing her weak, but they had no idea her strength, having found her in a similar state and perpetuating that state by too few feedings.
    General Roth, followed by Captain Chase, walked up to the glass box eyeing the creature inside with open curiosity. Her eyes, like black holes in the universe, were impossible to read. She’d displayed no indication of emotion or cognitive thought. With her ink black hair cut close to the scalp, barely noticeable breasts and skinny frame, she looked more like a young boy. Although her anatomy was that of a human female, Roth found nothing remotely feminine about her, yet the way she moved, like a lioness stalking its prey, was as disturbing as it was seductive.
    “Good morning.” The general waited for a response, but none came. He sighed. They’d been