If we were going to be working together until we found the grimoire, I needed to know how well we meshed. Hunters regularly put their lives in the hands of their hunting partners so it was essential that we trusted each other implicitly.
Anything could happen out on the streets.
When I thought about the hellhound I’d encountered earlier, a modicum of fear snaked its way into my mind, but I pushed it away along with my apprehension. I hadn’t known what I was dealing with then. Knowing what to expect, I’d be ready for it, especially as I was now in possession of a bottle of holy water, courtesy of one Tyler Braddock.
I grinned back at him. “It’s your stomping ground. Where do you suggest we go to find what we’re looking for?”
My heart jolted at the approval on Ty’s face. Why did he have such an effect on me? He slipped the Stetson onto his head before getting out his wallet to pay for our coffees. After he’d thrown a few bills on the table, he stood. He looked around the diner, presumably to check no one was listening, then leaned in to my ear, and I got a waft of his aftershave—something woodsy. My pulse skittered.
“In LA, there’s only one place to hunt vampires at night—Hollywood Boulevard. It’ll be crawling with the undead. The tourists are easy pickings.”
I stood and followed him to the door. “Lead the way. I’m in your very capable hands, sir.”
“Not yet,” he drawled, staring at me from under the brim of his hat, his eyes raking over me boldly. A wry smile curved his lips upward. “But I’m hoping you will be soon enough.”
I hid the shiver of desire that rolled over my skin and evenly held his gaze, even though I wanted to lower my eyes, feeling suddenly shy and self-conscious. “Do you ever stop flirting?”
He pulled open the door then stepped aside for me to go out first, but the serious look on his face stopped me in my tracks.
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“I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?” he asked, his voice hesitant.
“No,” I said at once. “Not at all.”
It occurred to me that if I wanted him to back down and cool it a bit, I should have told him I was uncomfortable, but I enjoyed the flirting and I suspected I would have missed it if he stopped. I didn’t want him to be uncomfortable around me or think that he had to pretend to be someone he wasn’t.
“Good.” His relieved smile caused a surprising tug in my stomach. “I like you, Alana. I never want to make you feel that way.” He opened his mouth to say something else, but shook his head instead. “Come on. Let’s go hunt some vamps.”
The cab dropped us off on the corner of Wilcox Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, then we headed west toward Laurel Canyon. As soon as we started on our way, a chill settled over my skin and I got the distinct impression that someone was watching us. As I scanned the area carefully, no one stood out from the few people who were still hanging around on the streets.
I wanted to make a good impression, so I didn’t mention my feelings to Ty. Instead, I shrugged off the sensation as we continued along the sidewalk, but made sure to stay on my guard.
Despite the late hour, there were still a few people in the area. I could imagine the many tourists during the day, but at gone one in the morning, the majority of them had likely crashed out after a busy day of sightseeing and shopping. Most of the people we encountered were as drunk as skunks and a couple of shifty-looking men tried to sell us drugs. One glare from Ty and they were on their way, slinking off into the night to try to sell their wares elsewhere.
We passed a few Mexican restaurants then walked on past countless souvenir shops, and the usual fast food and coffee chains. Groups of college-aged kids stumbled along the walk of fame. Vampires didn’t always stalk humans in such busy areas, but they obviously knew they could get away with it there.
What better place to hide than in plain sight?
It wasn’t until we reached the Dolby Theater that we caught our first break. A little farther on, just outside the Hard Rock Cafe, two male vampires were stalking a couple of young women. We quickened our steps. The vamps were easily recognizable. They wore old, dirty clothes that hung off their bony frames. If we were closer, the smell would have given them away, but there was no mistaking the way a vampire moved. Though hunched over, they www.totallybound.com
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strolled along the street with too much finesse for creatures who weren’t breathing, focused entirely on their prey.
Until they caught our scent.
The women soon forgotten, the vampires spun around in unison and stared at us, their expressions filled with menace. They exchanged satisfied glances and when they turned to us again, their eyes flashed amber. It happened so quickly that the casual observer might have thought it a trick of the light, but we knew better. They were goading us and trying to prove a point—that they didn’t care about hiding their true selves and there was nothing we could do to stop them.
That was a big mistake.
“Cocky bastards,” I bit out.
A quiet growl ripped from Ty’s throat. “They’re going to pay for that.” He checked up and down the street to ensure that no one had seen.
The vampires turned and casually walked on past the TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds. I thought they were going to cross the street, but instead they took a right onto North Orange Drive. As we rounded the corner, I noted that the street was devoid of life. Perfect. We followed them for a short while, but slowed as they turned down the exit ramp of an underground parking lot.
“Where the hell are they going?” Ty turned to me, frowning. “Do you think they’re up to something? Luring us down there for a reason?”
I pursed my lips. “Only one way to find out. We can’t wait here all night. They might find another way out, and if they kill any humans tonight, that’ll be on us. At least it’ll be quiet in there.”
“Yeah, but there’ll be cameras.”
I shrugged. “There are cameras everywhere these days—difficult to get away from them.
The council will take care of any footage.”
“I guess,” he said distractedly.
I could tell that Ty didn’t want to follow the vampires down into the parking lot, but we didn’t have much choice. Vampires were cold-blooded killers and it was our job to hunt them and put them out of commission. Permanently.
“Be careful in there, okay?” Ty said. “Try not to let them corner you.”
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I balked at his words and tossed him a glare for good measure. “I have done this once or twice before, you know.”
Ty grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop. “I’m sorry. That sounded less patronizing in my head.”
My eyes widened as I regarded him. I hadn’t expected an apology. I’d had to put up with similar comments from Caleb for years and he’d never once apologized for his overprotective, sexist remarks. Ty looked every inch the alpha male but lacked the domineering caveman tendencies I’d always hated. He was certainly full of surprises and all of them good.
I shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”
I let go of any annoyance I still held as we started down the ramp. It wouldn’t do to be frustrated with him during a fight. It just wasn’t worth it. If either of us was distracted, we could get hurt—or worse. No hunter wanted the death of a partner on their conscience, therefore all of our energy and focus needed to be on our enemy.
It was darker inside the parking lot and smelled musty, even though there was plenty of fresh air coming in from the street above. The farther in we walked, the stronger the smell became.
I didn’t like it.
I caught Ty’s gaze and noted the unease on his face. He glanced sideways, his lips pressed tightly together. His neck and shoulders looked rigid, as if he held all his body’s tension there.
“I don’t like this,” he
said, mirroring my thoughts. “Something’s not right.”
I didn’t get to answer, because a low chuckle sounded around us, and a shudder rolled over my body. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact location of the sound, however, which was weird.
I knew it was impossible, but I would have sworn the chuckle had come from everywhere at once, as if blasted from invisible speakers around the lot. I didn’t know which way to turn or even what we were facing down there.
“Back to back,” Ty instructed.
I nodded then placed my back against his. It was a technique they’d taught in the training school, which ensured that nothing could come at us from behind. Feeling Ty’s solid, warm body behind me calmed me as I squinted into the darkness, waiting for the vampires to show themselves. I couldn’t see anything, but I could clearly feel their presence and smell their disgusting rotting flesh.
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There was no smell as foul as the stench of the undead.
I reached into the back of my jeans, pulled out my stake then held it at my side. If they attacked, I’d be ready. We didn’t have to wait long for them to show themselves. Vampires were arrogant and always thought they could best hunters in a fight, when the truth was we killed them in their hundreds. But it didn’t matter how many we dispatched.
More always took their places.
“Hunters,” one of them hissed as he stepped out into the open from a nearby dark corner.
“Yes, there’s no mistaking that stink.”
I snorted. “It’s called soap, buddy. You should try some.”
As he hissed a second time, the other vampire showed himself. He’d been standing behind a pillar to the side of us. I raised my stake in preparation, but they made no move to come any closer. They didn’t look ready to fight with us. In fact, they looked decidedly calm.
They weren’t even wearing the cocky grins I’d come to expect of the undead. Alarm bells sounded in my mind. What if they weren’t alone?
No sooner had the thought entered my mind than a prickling sensation covered my skin.
It felt like an army of ants marching over my body in unison. Despite the balmy night, a cold breeze blew, leaving me feeling chilled to the bone. It was the same sensation I’d had earlier, only much more intense.
“Stay close to me,” Ty breathed.
I didn’t have the words to reply. Something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t verbalize exactly what was wrong. I just wanted to get out of there. I wanted to run. Again. I wanted to get as far away as possible. I took a step forward.
“Alana?” Ty called, moving so that our backs were touching again. “Are you doing okay?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered back. “Do you feel something… unusual?”
One of the vampires let out a hoot of laughter, but Ty ignored it. “Yeah, I feel it,” he said tightly. “Get ready to use the bottle.”
Before I had time to process his advice, a low snarl sounded that made me stop breathing, frozen in both fear and panic.
Hellhound.
“Alana,” Ty said again. “You with me?”
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I shook my head as if to clear it then pulled the small bottle out of the pocket of my jeans.
I transferred my stake into my left hand and raised it high.
“I’m okay. I’ve got the bottle ready.”
“We need to get back to the exit,” Ty said. “We can’t afford to get trapped down here.”
I couldn’t have agreed more, but as I took a step in that direction, another snarl sounded from somewhere in front of me.
I bit out a curse. “Ty, there’s more than one.”
“Christ,” he muttered.
I took a couple of steps forward.
“Alana, stay close to me,” Ty chided. “Be prepared for anything.”
The vampires chuckled again, but this time another voice joined them and it called for their silence. They obeyed at once. The voice was lower than the vampires’ voices and its timbre made me uncomfortable. The chilly sensation on my skin became so intense so quickly that it was difficult to tell if I was hot or cold. I winced. Hot. Definitely hot, as if I’d inadvertently walked in front of a furnace.
I was burning up.
“Ty?”
“It’s a demon,” he informed me. “Stay with me, Alana.”
I stopped, my feet rooted to the ground, and my hands shook around the bottle I held.
I’d never encountered a demon before and had no knowledge of what to do when faced with one. Hunters weren’t well equipped to fight demons, and the teachers at the training school had taught us little about their kind. Demons usually saved their battles for more worthy opponents—angels. Though I supposed hunters would be easy pickings, and it would certainly send a message if they began targeting us.
When another snarl from one of the hellhounds sounded to my left, the fire in my veins turned to ice. It was close—really close. I tried not to panic, but the memory of my earlier flight kept rattling around in my mind, making me doubt my abilities as a hunter.
What if it happened again?
What if I panicked and ran, leaving Ty behind to fight on his own? He’d never survive—
not against such a lethal combination of vampires, demons and hellhounds. I straightened my shoulders and clenched my jaw. No, I wouldn’t run. I’d stand my ground if it was the last www.totallybound.com
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thing I did. I might have only just met Ty, but there was no way I could leave him behind to fend for himself.
I swallowed down my fear as the hellhounds appeared on either side of us, but like the vampires, they made no move to come any closer.
“Looking for something, hunters?” the demon hissed.
“We might be,” Ty replied, his voice steady, tone casual. “You want to save us a whole lot of time and effort and tell us where we can find it?”
The demon made a noise—half rattle and half wheeze—that I interpreted as a laugh.
“Nice try, hunter.”
I kept waiting for the demon to show himself, to step out of the shadows like the vampires and hellhounds had done. I squinted into the dark corners, trying to catch a glimpse of him, but I couldn’t see any solid forms lurking anywhere. Why was he hiding from us? A demon would have nothing to fear from hunters. Our only defense were the bottles of holy water we held in our hands.
Was that why he kept his distance?
Did holy water have the same effect on demons that it did on hellhounds? I made a mental note to ask Ty, if we happened to get out of this predicament alive.
The demon’s next words were little more than a whisper, but they carried through the stale air as if shouted with a megaphone. “Kill them.”
Before the words and their meaning had fully registered, the hellhounds and vampires attacked.
I didn’t have time to panic. I pulled the stopper out of the bottle then threw the contents onto the hellhound nearest me. It screeched in agony as it skidded to a stop, and when the smell of searing flesh reached my nostrils, I felt instantly nauseous. A quick glance to my right confirmed that the other hellhound had met the same fate, but I had little time to do anything else before one of the vampires was on me. I sidestepped, narrowly missing a swipe of his razor-sharp claws, and at the same time thrust my stake outward, aiming for the creature’s heart. He jumped out of the way before the blade could make purchase. Shouts, curses and the sounds of fists connecting with solid flesh reached my ears, but despite my desire to do so, I didn’t turn to check on Ty.
I had to stay focused on my own battle.
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“How are you doing, Alana?” Ty asked after a moment.
Something inside me melted at the sound of concern in his voice.
“Piece of cake,” I said, dodging another swipe.
The vampire in front of me roared his fury and renewed his efforts. He seemed to put all of his weight behind his next charge, and I used it to my advantage. I slipped the stake into my right hand, pulled my left shoulder back and lunged with my right. I stabbed the stake into his chest, shoving it in deeper so that it pierced his heart. His eyes widened and flashed amber, his mouth opening on a silent scream, then he fell heavily to the ground—a dead weight.
I turned in time to see Ty dispatch his own vampire, and even before the soulless creature had hit the ground, Ty reached out for my hand.
“Come on. We need to get out of here. They’re getting up.”
I followed his line of sight and saw that one of the hellhounds was trying to get to its feet.
The burn from the holy water on the side of its body looked almost healed. I took hold of Ty’s outstretched hand, then we ran for the exit, our footsteps echoing in the empty space. The hellhounds’ snarls and snapping of jaws were barely audible over the roar of the demon, but he made no move to attack and that didn’t make any sense.
“I’ve only got one bottle left,” Ty said, his words spurring me to run faster. “If they both attack…”
I didn’t need to hear the rest of the sentence. I knew exactly what he meant. If they both attacked before we got out, we wouldn’t make it out at all. We ran up the exit ramp, but I heard the snarl over my left shoulder before we’d made it even halfway to the top.
“Ty!” I screamed, feeling all the blood in my body rush to my ears.
Ty turned and threw the bottle of holy water without breaking stride. He gripped my hand tighter, pulling me along with him.
“Come on, sugar. We’re nearly there,” Ty said, right before we crested the top of the ramp and hit the street at a sprint.
I was breathing heavily, my heart beating at twice its usual speed as we raced along the sidewalk. I was too afraid to look over my shoulder. Not that there would have been any point.
If I was destined to die at the claws of a hellhound, I didn’t want to see it coming. Ty chanced a look as we headed back past the Dolby Theater. I almost crashed into him as he came to an www.totallybound.com
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