A/N :

If you have not read the revised chapter of 23 (aka 21 part 1 ) Please do so before reading this chapter !!

Hi ,

This chapter came out a lot earlier than I had anticipated which is a good thing , I guess . So like I stated above if you have not read the revised chapter before this one please do so now because it completely VITAL to understand to what the heck is going on in the plot . So , yah , make sure you do that . The next chapter is currently in progress and is near completion but will not be posted until June due to weddings ( not my own ) , finals ,work and family . Sorry this chapter is so short but I will certainly make up for it's length in the next chapter !

- M.R.Sanner

Ok guys seriously PLEASE REVIEW ! I need to know what you ALL think about the changes that are occuring to the story because the rewrite for entire first part is about to start soon , so if you read it review , pm or email me it doesn't matter but I need to know your thoguhts and opinions . Thanks !!

Gordon’s long incisors tore into my arm, slicing through muscle, cartilage and skin as he shook his massive head back and forth like a dog playing with a chew toy .His teeth shredded into my arm as my body jerked back and forth with each powerful shake of Gordon’s jaws, my head whipping from side to side as he did so . I screamed feeling panic ensnare my mind as it attempted to shelter my mind away from the pain of what was happening to my body . Raising my left arm, the one that was not currently being used as toy, I swatted at Gordon trying to at least do something that would get him off my arm . He quickly released my arm, which fell limply besides me, and hopped backwards, his blood stained teeth grinning at me. My left hand thumped weakly to the ground where Gordon stood moments before. Oh God, that’s my blood on his teeth. That’s my blood on his teeth!

“ Do not leave him .” Gordon growled ,eyes still fixed on me , as he ran his pink tongue over his bloody teeth , sampling my blood . I gasped as his two remaining guards stepped back towards Sage , nodding there heads .I had forgot about them , completely forgot . My arm throbbed and I suppressed a groan as pressed my good hand tighter around my wound .

I could feel my eyes slowly drift downwards with that very thought screaming through my mind as if to prove to my hysterical self that it wasn’t my blood , but it was . Blood spilled down my arm in a wet trail as it snaked its way down my fingers and onto the ground as I screamed hoarsely, my voice cracking as the long crescendo of my scream reverberated in my ears. Gordon stumbled further out of my reach as I wrapped my good hand around the shredded skin , trying to stop the continuous fountain of blood that was pouring from the wound . My blood seeped through my shaking fingers making me nauseously aware of how warm it truly it was as it poured from my body . The blood dripped onto my jeans , onto my feet and onto the pavement creating an ever growing pool of my blood. I pressed my quivering fingers tighter around the wound trying to stop the blood but my blood slicked hand made it near impossible to keep a good grip on my arm . Oh, God if Gordon had hit an artery there was nothing I could do to save my life. Is there even an artery in your arm ? Please ,please God do not let there be an artery in my arm ! Wait what about veins ? Can’t someone bleed to death with a open vein ? Please God, please don’t let an artery or a vein !

I opened my eye not even releasing that I had closed them forgetting whatever I had meant to do as I stared at the terrible sight in front of me . I forgot about my wound, forgot about what I did and even Gordon laid on his side withering in pain his black fur rippling over his entire body moving up and down in a sickening rhythmic wave his skin sliding further out of place with each ripple until bloody red muscle peeked out on his back as his fur ,no his 

skin, slid further and further off his body until it pooled itself on the ground a perfect fur skin of a huge black dog . All of his red muscle withered and wiggled like a pit full of snakes each muscle going in different directions, moving in a different pattern, stretching, shrinking, growing together and separating all at once. Sharp crackles filled the air as his bones popped out of their socket, broke as the withering muscles moved over and around the glistening white bones and shifted as they grew longer ,shorter and thicker . I suppressed the urge to scream as I watched his limbs growing longer, ribs cracking and shifting until a human chest formed and very human skin slowly began to from over the pink withering muscles sealing them inside perfect tanned flesh. Gordon’s once canine face shifted ,broke and rearranged until it began knitting itself together as his eerie purple eyes remained the same. Flesh poured over his head and long dark wavy hair grew out of his scalp until it stopped . Then everything stopped and a nude man laid there where the dog Gordon had once lain . He lied there panting , gasping, for air as his very human body curled itself into a tight ball .

I sat there mesmerized at the shaking human ball that laid eight feet away from me . I had never seen a complete shift before . My eyes were closed for Sages , and the sillian ,Ryon , had never finished the shift before he died and that had been horrible enough . Why would you put yourself through this horror just to come here ?Is it really worth it ? Hell no . I shook my head and pressed my slick hand tighter against my wound which I had temporarily forgot as I had watched Gordon shift .

It took no more than five minutes for Gordon to complete the horrible shift from dog to man .And I had yet to bleed to death , that was good . That meant that Gordon hadn’t bit deep enough to hit a vein or artery , thought it was still a lot of blood to loose . Blood was still trickling out the wound near my elbow and a small flap of skin was hanging on by a thread , but it wasn’t anything serious but I still needed stitches . I took a deep breath feeling all the aches and pain that washed over me feeling extremely tired but I couldn’t quit . I still was not out of code red , I was going to need stitches , antibiotics and probably tons of sleep the way my head was feeling , but first I had to get away from Gordon . I looked back at Gordon , whom was still curled in a ball , exhausted . Good , better now then never .

“ Sage ?” I croaked trying to look past the men that I had…maimed but my eyes locked on them instantly . The man that I ..that I …blinded was crawling around one hand extended in front of him ,whimpering and mumbling something which I could not understand . The other man I had hit in the ribs with the pipe was lying on the ground his chest moving slowly . The last man that I had…attacked laid in the same exact place a pool of blood gathering 

around his head. I felt the dry lump in my throat rise and try to force it’s way out but I swallowed it down trying to burry it along deep with the overwhelming surge of panic that was clawing its way into my mind . He’s alive . He’s alive he can’t be dead ,he’s alive . He’s alive and so are the other two men , don’t worry about them Tristin . Worry about you , worry about getting out of this place alive .Worry about going back to Chris and home . I bit my lip and let go of my wounded arm , using my good on to push myself upwards , pressing my teeth harder into my lip as the small movement caused pain to flare through out my body . I whimpered and shook with weariness but I managed to stand even if I was wobbling back and forth like a drunk.

I slowly pried my eyes away from the still man on the ground and searched for Sage .The two guards that were watching him originally stood in there exact positions faces blank and unreadable following Gordon’s order to the very end ,but not looking pleased about it . Sage laid on his stomach head turned away from me , arms still bound .

“ Sage ?” I whimpered his name praying that he was not dead . He was innocent, or at least not the person that Gordon had lead me to believe and I did not want him to die because of my stupidity .

“ Tristin.” Sage groaned and lethargically lifted his head off the pavement, chin raised inches away from the pavement , almost like it was to much effort to lift it. Guilt washed through me as I stared at Sages face , my bottom lip trembling as I inwardly blamed myself for this whole thing .

Sages face was bloodied his left eyes swollen and closed ,his hair mated with blood , his lip chapped busted and bleeding . His right eye was barley open but it was looking at me . I felt my bottom lip tremble as my eyes burn with tears that were already cried out .What the heck did I get Sage and I in to ? What had I done ! What had I done .

“ I’m sorry . I’m sorry .” I gasped closing my eye but I could still see Sage in my head lying there on the pavement, head slightly elevated as he laid there looking at me , his hands bound behind his back .

“Sometimes, my dear Tristin, Sorry isn’t good enough.” Gordon rasped. My eyes snapped open, clutching my wound arm instinctively, as I stared at the human Gordon who was slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position with wobbly arms. He lifted his head slowly , his long hair covering his face thoroughly only revealing bits of his face at a time as if he was playing strip tease with his face . His jaw line was strong and wide ,his chin slightly pointed but not overly ,his wide plump lips curled into a crooked grin , the tip of his nose slightly narrow and angled which balanced out his strong jaw and chin . I bit my lips watching as the rest of his dark hair fell away and I gasped as his face became complete , each of his features harmonizing perfectly with another forming a face that I had seen day in and out for the past four days , a face that had changed my life ,a face that mirrored a king‘s . 

Gordon looked exactly like Sage .His face had the same strong bone structure, the same roman nose, the same wide sensuous lips, the same wide eyes and the same strong jaw . No ,impossible . I gaped at Gordon my eyes wide , and my min humming with shock . How could this be possible? How could he look like Sage? No ,not just like but also he could pass off as Sage.

Gordon laughed bitterly as his purple eyes darted over my face soaking in my shock , snickering at my surprise .

“ Surprised ?’ Gordon coughed, his voice strained and rasping. I bit my lip and gripped my arm tighter. Surprised doesn’t even begin to cover it. I opened my mouth and closed it staring at Gordon trying to convince myself that he did not look like Sage , but he did . Gordon chuckled and lifted himself off the ground swaying back and forth on his feet as much as I did. I took a stumbling step backwards not wanting for him to get closer to me . I did not want Gordon coming close to me not because he was now a naked male but because it chilled me to the marrow to see Sages face plastered on someone else ,especially that someone being the bastard that had manipulated me and tried to kill me .

“ Tristin , get away .” Sage groaned causing Gordon to pause , cock his head to the side and grin . I looked past Gordon at Sage . Sage rolled onto his side but never made it far as turning on his stomach before his brutal guards kicked him in his side and his stomach , causing him to cry out but not stop him . Sage wobbled onto his side , the guards watching him smiling , letting him get a bit further in his attempt to stand before delivering a painful blow onto his body but Sage did not stop until he was kneeling breathing harshly , his head bowed , just like Gordon’s had been before he lifted his head up looking directly at me .

“ Yes Tristin , get away .” Gordon cackled , his face splitting into a malicious grin . My heart skipped and hopped as I watched that evil grin spread across the carbon copy of Sages face . Even though Sage had strangled me ,for some reason I still was not sure about ,I had never seen that evil grin on his face . I had never seen the cunning gleam in his eyes . Gordon may of looked like Sage but he definitely was not him and the more that I became aware of that I could begin to see the subtle differences between the two .Sage’s nose was not as long as Gordon’s , his cheek bones not as high , his jaw not as wide ,his eyes not as narrow , his lips not as full , his shoulders not as broad , his muscles not as defined and his skin not as dark ,callused or scarred .Where Gordon was harsh and angled Sage was soft and gentle . At first glance they appeared to be carbon copies of each other but with the second glance their subtle difference became obvious . It was like looking at siblings . They appeared to look like each other but they were vastly different . Siblings , no . There was no way , they couldn’t be …could they ? Could Gordon be Sages 

brother ? Or cousin ? Was Gordon related to Sage ? It was to much of a condense that they both looked so strikingly similar to pass off as just looking alike .

“ Who are you ?” I asked staring at Gordon who’s face split in a grin , his violet eyes sparkling with malice .

“ I don’t know , who am I your highness ?” Gordon cackled turning around slowly on his heel until he faced Sage . Sages eyes rounded with surprise as he stared at Gordon his face ashen and his split bloodied lip open as he stared at Gordon ,recognition filtering into his eye .

“ Davies ?”Sage whispered his brows raised , his face slacken with surprise . Whoever Gordon actually was had surprised Sage ,had surprise him to big time . Gordon laughed flinging his head backwards as he cackled madly like a villain in a action film .

“ At your service , your highness .” Gordon hissed all the laughter dying out of his voice . Sage opened his mouth and then closed it shaking his head , as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing . Who the hell was Gordon and exactly what was he to Sage ?

“ What are you doing ?” Sage squeaked shaking his head ,eyes closed ,brow knitted together . Gordon shrugged nonchalantly .

“ Why capturing a prisoner , your highness .” Gordon replied his voice bland and devoid of emotion . Capturing a prisoner ? Who was the … Sage .Sage was the prisoner . Sage had the brand on his neck , the brand which he said was that of a prisoner . So ,Gordon wasn’t lying when he had said Sage was a prisoner .

“ Prisoner .” Sage whispered shaking his head . “ If you are here to capture a prisoner then why am I … I am the prisoner ?” Sage asked his voice rising a few octaves . Gordon’s shoulders shook as he snickered at Sage’s a little to late conclusion .

“ Why of course ,why else would you be bound and branded ?” Gordon replied clucking his tongue . Sage opened his mouth and then closed it, shaking his head , obviously confused . Glad I wasn’t the only one . Ok , so one thing is for sure Gordon and Sage were not in Cahoots together though apparently they knew each other , and may be related .

“ Davies , I do not understand -”

“ Of course you don’t your highness .You never understand .” Gordon said shrugging . Sage closed his eyes and drew in a deep shuddering breath and reopened his eyes .

“ No , no I do not understand so please explain it for me Davie . Explain to your king , explain to your friend as to 

why you have me bound ,branded and exiled ! Explain to me why you planned to kill an innocent women , a women that helped your king when you did not , and then had her beaten . Explain. Now. “ Sage growled the last words through his clenched bare teeth his blue eye flashing with confusion and anger at Gordon/Davies .Gordon … no Davies ,shrugged and tapped his chin carefully , as if he was actually pondering Sages words .

“ I do not have to explain anything to you your highness .” Davies replied wistfully before spinning on his heel and turning back to me ,smiling .

“ As I am sure you heard Tristin ,” Davies growled my name ,” I am Davies Alexander , friend and companion of the King and captain of the Royal Guards . I assure that I did not lie about .” Gordon … no Davies clucked at me his eyes sparkling with the promise of chaos .

“ Some friend you are .” I grunted eyeing Davies . Some friend he was indeed . Davies chuckled and shrugged and winked at me .

“There are no such things as friends only tools , and you my dear , are a tool .” Gordon cackled and I felt my face drop . I am not a tool .

“ Leave her be Davies . Your problem is with me ,let her go now and I will assure you that you will not be executed for your crimes against the throne .”Sage hissed at his once friend . Davies laughed taking a step forwards towards me extending his arm . I took a shaky step backwards not wanting those hands to touch me .

“ You can guarantee nothing your highness not even the safety of the woman you love .” Gordon hissed , his hand jolting forward wrapping around my bruised sore neck , crushing into my throat , into my windpipe . Woman you love ? Who the hell was that ? I gasped ,drawing in air ,glad that he had not cut off all my air flow .

“ Let me the fuck go .” I gasped slapping weakly at Gordon’s hand who in returned grinned at me tightening his grip a bit more .

“ Now , your highness , it is time for us to be going . Say farewell to Tristin .” Gordon laughed as he watched my watering eyes widen and my weak , tired ,sore ,hands scratched faster at his stable strong ones .

“ No!” Sage screamed as Gordon’s finger began their slow crushing decent on my throat cutting off all air flow to my lungs ,leaving me choking , gasping and clawing weakly at his arms ,and hands ,trying to free their grip on my neck .

“ No ! Get off of her Davies ! I command you to release her !” Sage screamed hoarsely . Gordon chuckled his eyes staring directly into mine .

“ No , I think I will not your Highness . I think I will kill her before your very eyes and watch your heart die for a second time .“ Davies cackled madly digging his fingers into my neck .

I coughed and gagged clawing weakly at Davies arm , to weak to resist to exasperated to fight and to scared to think . Don’t let me die . I don’t want to die .I don’t want to die . If I wanted to die I would of rolled over when those men had come at me . I didn’t want to die then and I don’t want to die now . I scratched furiously at Gordon’s hands growing weaker and weaker with each passing moment that air was not pumped into my lungs . My vision began to grow hazy , black and red spots dancing across my vision . Not again .