Sterling Silver: (Sterling Hunter 1)

by Melody Personette

  Glancing up at Sebastian who had returned, pulling a short-sleeved shirt over his head, she slid her phone under the counter and answered. No, it is not a study date. We're barely even friends.

  A minute later Chelsea texted back while Sebastian poured her a glass of water. Whatever you say but you guys looked like more than just friends during lunch. Plus, he's hot and really sweet.

  Tabitha snorted and rolled her eyes. Ya well I'm at his place right now so I'll give you details tomorrow. Promise.

  You'd better. Have fun. ;)

  Tabitha smirked at the winkie face and shoved her phone back into her pocket, turning her attention back to Sebastian who sat down opposite her and slid a glass of water toward her. She took it and gulped the cold liquid down, realizing how parched her throat had become and how much of a sweat she'd built up. He also sat down a plate of chips and cold green guacamole. Tabitha's mouth watered, and her stomach growled. And then her eyes landed on his glass and her stomach did a lurch. She almost spit out her water.

  In his glass was thick red liquid, coating the sides of the glass and his lips were a bit redder than normal. “Is that...?” she couldn't say the word, her voice breaking.

  Sebastian raised his eyebrows, probably wondering why she looked so disgusted and then glanced down at her glass. Realization hit his face and his smile widened, curling his fingers around the glass and obscuring most of the blood. “Yes, it is. I was hungry just like I'm sure you are. I forget sometimes that... normal people would find my diet disconcerting. Even a hunter like you.”

  Tabitha swallowed and pulled herself together. She pulled the plate of chips and dip over to her. Deliberately she grabbed a chip, scooped up a bunch of the gauc and took a bite, making a point to stare at his face instead of at the glass. If she looked down at the blood, she would probably just throw up. “And Carlos and Sandra don't find it... gross?”

  He shrugged easily, gripping his cup. “If they do, they don't show it. Though Sandra often complains about having blood bags right next to her leftovers. Carlos doesn't much appreciate coming down for a late-night snack and finding a half-finished glass of blood in the sink either...” He sounded more like he was talking to himself, as if reminding himself that he really shouldn't leave blood bags and glasses tinted red lying around like that.

  Tabitha made an effort to smile and took another bite of her chip. That stuff was good. No doubt Sandra had made it. “I would find it gross too.”

  His eyes shifted up from the table to stare at her and he quirked an eyebrow, giving her a crooked grin. “Really? Perhaps I'll leave a blood bag in your locker sometime and see how you react.”

  Tabitha's face paled, and she pointed a menacing chip at him, guac dropping onto the black marble counter. “You'll get expelled.”

  He feigned shock, touching his chest and exposing some of the blood in his glass. “You would tell on me? A vampire?”

  Tabitha smirked and shoved her chip in her mouth. “Yes, I would. And you should be afraid. Principle Michel does not take any nonsense. Not even from a vampire like you.”

  He chuckled and slid off the stool, chugging the last of the blood from his glass and setting in the sink. “Enough talk. Let's get back to work.”

  Tabitha shoved one more guacamole filled chip into her mouth and followed him out the door. By the end of a few more training sessions Tabitha hoped she would become as fast and agile as Sebastian.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Psshh I so could have taken him down. You were just being overprotective,” Tabitha chided, pointing a bagel at him.

  Sebastian chuckled and leaned back in his seat with Dracula open between them. They were supposed to be studying and discussing the reading material for the week. Or at least they had planned to do that when Tabitha got to his house. Instead, Sebastian had decided to take her out for an impromptu hunting session.

  A week had gone by. So far in the past week Tabitha had only taken out about three by herself so far. Jonas had also come up with no information on Sebastian. She hoped that would change soon. Tabitha was pretty sure Mr. Carter was going on a trip this weekend. Jonas would have plenty of time to snoop then. Plus, Sebastian had been getting in her way the last few hunts as if he thought she couldn’t handle a vampire or two on her own. “Do you not remember Sebastian? I've been doing this for two years! I'm not completely incompetent!”

  “I never said you were.”

  Tabitha snorted and took another bite of her bagel. “Whatever. You don't think I can handle myself.”

  He shrugged and took a swig from his bottle of blood. One of the vampires had scraped him up real good. Despite him not trusting her, he took her out hunting later in the evening when the sun was still out to track down a lead on Alistair. Sebastian said this guy Keller was one of Alistair’s top lackeys and might be in the city. Turned out, he had been. Staying in a posh hotel. They had caught him behind the place eating someone with one of his buddies. Unfortunately, they’d gotten his friend, but Keller had made a quick escape.

  “You said it not me. How about this? Tomorrow night I promise not to get in your way. I will be there to observe only. Sound good?”

  Tabitha narrowed her eyes but nodded. “Fine. But you'd better let me do my own hunting. I'm sick of you getting in the way.”

  He laughed. Tabitha grinned. Making him laugh or smile... it made her happy. Made her heart swell in a way she had never felt before. It was an amazing feeling. She set her bagel down and grabbed the Dracula book, flipping through the pages. “We should probably finish this. I know grades don't matter to you, but I have a reputation to protect.”

  “What, the smart mouth teacher's pet who all the other kids are jealous of and who all the school staff adore?”

  Tabitha smirked and nodded, slapping the book on the counter. “Yep. I need to keep my straight A streak. Going strong since fifth grade.”

  He cocked his head. “What happened in fourth grade?”

  She scowled. “Mrs. Carmon. She was a stickler for the rules, and she despised me. I got two F’s that year!”

  Sebastian quirked an eyebrow as he pulled the book back over to him. “Do I detect a hint of bitterness?”

  Tabitha folded her arms on the bar table and watched as he flipped back to the correct chapter. “You detect a bucket load of bitterness. Because of Mrs. Carmon my entire school career shall be marred with an F.”

  He gasped mockingly. “Oh, the horror.”

  Tabitha opened her mouth to return his sarcasm when the front door banged open, surprising both of them. Tabitha jumped and spilled her water all over her shirt and Sebastian went rigid.

  “What's wrong?”

  “Sebastian! Sebastian, something happened. We need your help!” she heard Sandra shouting from the front hall.

  They shared a glance and then Sebastian disappeared. Tabitha ran after to him to see what had happened.

  Carlos lay bleeding on the couch in the front room. Tabitha covered her mouth as she took in the scene. Sandra knelt beside him, pressing her hands, now slick with blood, into her husband's wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

  “Sebastian, can you heal him?” she gasped, her voice hoarse.

  He vamped over to her and bit into his wrist without hesitation. Carlos grabbed hold of his wrist and Tabitha stared in disgust as the hunter drank Sebastian's blood. She remembered faintly of her dad telling her about the healing properties vampire blood had. How it could heal anything. Tabitha wrinkled her nose. She supposed if she was dying or in enough pain she would be as eager to do anything to heal herself as Carlos seemed to be right now, though… After a few seconds Sebastian pulled his wrist free and Tabitha watched as the two fang incisions healed themselves. He rolled his sleeve back down. Carlos groaned and sat up.

  “What happened?” Sebastian asked, standing.

  Sandra bit her lip and checked Carlos' stomach. The wound had closed on its own and the bleeding had stopped. Carlos still looked pretty pale, though.

 
; “Brenda Carter called me this morning and asked me to investigate a lead. There were a few noticeable ‘animal’ attacks on the fringes of town a but before I got where the latest attack happened, I was ambushed in an alleyway.” He grimaced and touched his neck where dried blood coated his skin.

  Sebastian's eyes darkened, and Tabitha moved away from the wall, joining them. “Who ambushed you?” she asked.

  Carlos sighed, locking eyes with Sebastian. “All I saw was a flash of black hair. A man, I think. Thankfully I'd brought Sandra with, and she found me before I bled out but... neither of us got a good look at the vampire. Do you think you can track him?”

  Tabitha raised her eyebrows and glanced at Sebastian. His expression had gone from calculating to pure anger in seconds. His eyes flashed a dangerous red before he nodded. “Yeah, I can track him down,” he said through clenched teeth.

  Carlos nodded, and Sandra helped him up off the couch. “I should go shower and change. Unless you need help hunting him down?”

  Sebastian looked away, his hands fists at his side. “No. I can find him on my own.”

  They fell into uneasy silence. Tabitha didn't know what to say. She would offer to go with him but if he refused Carlos, he would refuse her. Something he'd said had tipped Sebastian over the edge. She hadn't seen him so angry since their first dinner together...

  “Tabitha,” Sebastian's voice broke her from her thoughts and she looked up. His face had calmed to a quiet rage, his voice quiet. “I should take you home.”

  Tabitha glanced at Sandra and Carlos, but they didn't protest so she just shrugged. “Okay... Let's go then.”

  Sebastian swept out of the front room and cupped his hand on Tabitha's back, guiding her down the hall and to the front door. “Sorry about that... I'll be right back.”

  He disappeared up the stairs and came down a minute later in a long-sleeved gray knitted sweatshirt and shiny black shoes. Tabitha forced a smile as she left the house with him. “You don't have to take me home.”

  Despite his still troubled expression, he gave her a smile, slipping into the passenger seat of her bug. “It's customary for the gentleman to escort the lady home after an evening out.”

  Tabitha snorted and started her car, rolling her eyes. “That was hardly an evening out.”

  Sebastian wasted no time responding, dazzling her with a crooked grin and an innocent gaze, all rage gone from his features, hidden behind a mask Tabitha could see right through. “Well then perhaps we should amend that. What are you doing tomorrow after school?”

  Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. Was he... asking her out? On a date? Or just mocking her? She bit her lip and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. “I... I'm not doing anything... Why?”

  His gaze intensified, making it hard for Tabitha to focus. Even when she turned back to stare at the road, she could still feel his eyes on her, watching her for any sign of weakness. “Because I may have a lead by tomorrow evening, and I thought you might want to join me.”

  Tabitha raised her eyebrows, so… not a date. “Like a hunt?”

  “Something of that effect. There will definitely be hunting involved.”

  Tabitha shrugged. How could she say no to that? “Sure. Why not. So, do you think Alistair had something to do with the attack on Carlos?” she whispered.

  Just like that his fanged grin disappeared. Sebastian nodded. “Without a doubt. He must have sent a lackey to do his work and... I think it was Keller, but since our hunt this evening wasn’t very fruitful, I know of someone else who might be in town.”

  Tabitha raised her eyebrows. “Who?”

  He stared straight ahead, at the road as he answered. “I'd rather not say until I'm sure... But if it's her then I'll know Alistair is not only trying to mess with you, but me as well.”

  Tabitha wasn't sure what that meant but she didn't push it. “What do you think he's planning? What could he gain from attacking Carlos?”

  She glanced at him and back to the road. His gaze had become bitter, his hands curling into fists in his lap. “He has something planned that's for sure. Alistair has always had a delusional way of thinking. I think there’s more to this than just wanting you on his side… As for him going after Carlos, that was purely to spite me. Try to catch me off guard.”

  Tabitha parked in front of her house, leaving the car on. She faced him. “Did it work...?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Did he threaten me? No. If anything, he's just made me more determined to stop him. He's been searching for you since your father moved your family here and I know he’s been waiting a long time to make his move against the Moirai. He wants all the hunters eradicated, so the vampire race can live in peace.”

  “And spread,” Tabitha mumbled.

  Sebastian nodded. “If there were no hunters, we would spread, and I don’t think Alistair realizes how dangerous that could be. There could end up being more vamps than humans and if that were to happen, there would be a massive shortage of blood. Obviously, he hasn’t thought this through very well.”

  “Obviously,” Tabitha said, her jaw clenched. “We’ll take him out. He won’t get me, Sebastian, and I won’t let him have the power to take down the Moirai.”

  Sebastian grinned and popped the car door open. “Good. I'd rather have you on my side Tabitha than against me. I'll find his accomplice tomorrow and perhaps they'll lead us right to him.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sebastian grabbed one of the water bottles of blood he kept stashed in the bottom drawer of the fridge and snapped the cap off, taking a deep gulp the next day. Sandra sat at the table eating and staring at her iPhone while Carlos read the paper. One of the only men left in the twenty-first century who still read the newspaper every day without fail. Mostly so he could search local news on dead bodies or vampire-ish stories. Tabitha didn't need the newspaper or the news in general. She hunted by instinct. A lot like how vampires hunted.

  “I'm going to be gone for the day,” he announced, taking another swig of his drink.

  They both looked up at the same time. Sandra made a face at the red stuff in his bottle, and Carlos narrowed his eyes, setting down his newspaper. “Where to?” Carlos asked though from the suspicion in his voice he already knew where.

  Sebastian flashed them both an easy smile and stepped past the bar counter and the large table in the dining room to the left. “Out for a bit of a hunt.”

  Sebastian heard the click of Sandra's phone turning off and metal being set down on the marble counter. “What sort of hunt?”

  They were always so suspicions. Always on top of him. Which was for the most part a good thing but sometimes it really got on his nerves. Most of the time he felt like a human teenager again. His parents always harping on him and wondering where he was going and when he would be back. Back when he was a teenager most parents let their kids roam freely. Not his parents. Sebastian had three other siblings. A big brother and two younger sisters and his mother kept a tight leash and a hawk's eye on all of them. Setting a curfew at ten thirty and saying that they all had to be back inside for dinner at precisely six o'clock, when father got home from work.

  Sebastian blinked away the memory again and turned around, giving them an easy, confident smile, one that inspired trust.

  Carlos stood, hands splayed on the table. “Need some company?”

  Sebastian shook his head, trying hard to keep an annoyed scowl off his face. He smoothed his face into composure. “No, I think I can take care of myself. I'll see you this evening. I'm taking Tabitha out hunting.” He winked, and this time Sandra stood, her mouth gaping.

  She followed him past the dining room and to the front hall where Sebastian tugged on his black leather jacket. “Hunting? You sure that’s all it is?”

  “What kind of game are you playing Sebastian?” Carlos asked.

  Sebastian smirked and opened the door into the antechamber. He'd created it specifically so young vampires couldn't get in. The walls and ceiling made of
glass to let in the light. “No game. Just a friendly evening out. She agreed...”

  He walked through the antechamber and to the first door. Sebastian gripped the door handle and turned, throwing them a roguish grin. “I promise we’ll be careful.”

  Then without giving them time to answer, he shut the door behind him and vamped away from the house. He didn't stop until he had a few miles between him and the house and was back near the center of town. Alistair wouldn’t have bothered attacking a hunter in town, but Sebastian had a pretty good idea of who would. Since it had been a male, Sebastian was assuming Alistair’s right hand man was around: Keller. If he could find Keller, he would find Alistair.

  If Sebastian was going to find any of them anywhere in this town, it would be at the fanciest hotel around. Alistair didn’t skimp when it came to where he set his people up.

  Alistair had been born to live in this era. He loved the luxuries and technology that came with living in the twenty-first century.

  Shoving his hands into his pockets, he followed his senses from sidewalk to sidewalk, ignoring the shrewd glances of adults. Thoughts of him skipping school and getting in trouble drifted lazily in one ear and out the other.

  If he remembered correctly this town had one five-star, deluxe hotel. Alistair would be staying there. Or one of his goons. Sebastian strolled across the street, through town and came to a stop in front of the Marriot Hotel. Huge and gleaming with windows. Air swooshed over his face as he entered the luxurious and richly furnished lobby. A huge screen on the far wall showed the weather and news reports and much of the day. A bar to be opened every night with tables and booths on carpeted floors sat to the right.