Hunted_The Guardians' League Book One

by Amelia Elias

  “Of course I’d know,” he snarled at James and instantly regretted it. He didn’t snap at his Stewards. They were his family, his friends. James was not here to absorb his temper. Diego took a deep breath and attempted to rein in his worry-driven anger. “I’m sorry, James,” he said, making an effort to speak normally.

  He shrugged and gave Diego a ghost of a smile. “Hey, no problem. All those fighting lessons had to be good for—”

  Diego, I’m sorry.

  Diego’s breath slammed out of his lungs and his palms flew to his temples, sending every ounce of concentration he possessed shooting along the brief mental conduit to his mate. Sian, what’s wrong? Where are you? he demanded, but she was gone.

  His heart froze as the truth struck him.

  Sian was gone.

  She had never planned to go shopping and she had never planned to be back before dawn. She was leaving for good.

  Diego roared in anguish and bolted for the door, every sane and rational thought evaporating and every cell of his body screaming two primal instincts. His mate couldn’t leave him. He had to stop her!

  James blocked him before he could rip the door open. Diego shoved at him, reaching for the door, but he wouldn’t be moved no matter how Diego clawed or fought. James pushed back with surprising strength and kept him from the door. Enraged, Diego snarled and redoubled his efforts.

  “Diego, stop it! You’ll kill yourself if you run out there now. Damn it, the sun’s coming up! Do you want to get roasted alive? You’re no good to her dead!”

  Some vague part of Diego’s brain recognized James’s voice and understood the truth of his words. Something rational sparked to life again and Diego forced himself to stop fighting. The red haze of panic faded enough for him to scent blood in the air for the first time. Its sharp, coppery scent only fueled his animal side, all his instincts awake and demanding the hunt. He stumbled back and rubbed his hands over his face, trying to push away the fury burning inside him.

  “Are you done or do I brace for round two?”

  Diego opened his eyes at James’s words and stared in horror at what he’d done. James didn’t move from his station in front of the door despite the scratches marking his face and arms. Shame washed over him, killing the remainder of the irrational madness that had overcome him. Never in his life, never had he struck a Steward. He could have killed him.

  “Dios, James, forgive me,” Diego said, reaching out with his powers to heal his friend. The scratches were deep but the bleeding stopped at once. “You saved my life.”

  “Yeah, and I hope you plan on giving me combat pay for that.” Despite his sarcastic reply, James’s eyes were deeply concerned. He crossed his arms over his chest, still breathing hard from his struggle with the enraged vampire. “Tell me what you saw, felt, whatever the hell just happened. Tell me where she is and who’s got her. I’ll get her back for you.”

  Diego sat heavily on the floor as the daytime weakness started to overcome him. James’s assumption that only an attacker could keep Sian from returning was agony. Without the numbness of rage, the pain was so great he felt like the slightest movement would shatter him, but he forced himself to answer James.

  “No one has her,” he said hoarsely, dropping his head to his palms to hide the moisture in his eyes. “She left, James. All on her own.”

  James swore viciously. A moment later, he reached down and tugged Diego to his feet. “You need to be in bed,” he said shortly, pulling him toward the stairs. “I’ll go look for her while you rest, but only if you swear to me you won’t try another stupid stunt like running out of here again. I don’t want to come back and find a bucket of extra-crispy vampire on the lawn.”

  Diego nodded and straightened, letting James help him up the stairs. “She was heading north,” he said, weariness already slurring his words. Dios, how he hated the day-sickness. For all his great power and strength, he paid this price. Never had it seemed too high until now.

  “North, got it. I’m all over it. Don’t worry.”

  James pushed open his bedroom door and dumped Diego on the bed. When he started to turn away Diego grabbed his wrist. “Be careful,” he said, fighting off sleep by sheer stubbornness. He’d failed to warn Sian. It was a mistake he wouldn’t make twice. “We’re being hunted.”

  “Gotcha.” James nodded at the bedside phone. “Call me at sunset. Sweet dreams, and don’t worry. I’ll find her.”

  Diego grimaced as the door closed. Sweet dreams. His were likely to be nightmares. Sian, come back to me, he called, searching for her mind even as sleep claimed him. Come home, wildcat.

  * * *

  North. It wasn’t much to go on.

  James pointed the Corvette in that direction and put down the accelerator. At least Sian had taken a distinctive car. Even in California, there weren’t many sky-blue Aston Martins.

  Still, he wished he had Diego’s sixth sense for this. Without it, he was reduced to simply driving north and hoping he saw Sian’s car. James made a face. There were a lot of highways pointing north, and he didn’t even know if she was on the highway. Besides, she’d been going north at dawn. He had no way of knowing if she’d turned off since then.

  Finally he sighed and pulled out his cell phone. Diego would hate it and Sian would probably try to deck him again for it, but James didn’t see where he had a choice. He needed more eyes searching if he was going to have any chance of success.

  A voice answered and James forced himself to speak calmly. “I’m calling to report a stolen vehicle.” The police weren’t infallible, but the more people he had searching the roads, the better the chances he’d have good news to give Diego at sunset. He described the car and gave the license plate as he drove, scanning the road and wondering how much of a head start Sian had on him. The Aston Martin could move at roughly the speed of sound, but his ‘Vette was no slouch either and it wasn’t completely beyond the realm of possibility that he’d catch up.

  The dispatcher was asking if he’d seen the thief and James chose his words with care. Diego would probably understand his involving the police if it helped to find Sian, but if James got his mate in trouble with the law he was sure Diego wouldn’t be nearly so understanding.

  Fighting Diego once was more than enough for him.

  “I didn’t see who took it,” James said. “And to tell you the truth, I’m a lot more worried about the woman who I lent it to than about the car itself. My friend borrowed it and I’m afraid she might have been kidnapped.”

  “Kidnapped?” the dispatcher echoed. “Are you certain your friend wouldn’t have simply decided to keep the car a little longer than you agreed on? I’m not saying she stole it, but misunderstandings happen—”

  “No, she called,” James lied. Well, maybe it wasn’t really a lie—Diego had certainly gotten some kind of message from her. “She said she was a few minutes away from my house around 3am, and she never got there.” He hoped the time he’d made up wasn’t too far off.

  “Sir, we can’t file a missing persons report until the person has been gone for more than twenty-four hours,” the dispatcher said.

  “Which is why I’m reporting a stolen car,” James replied, keeping himself from snapping by sheer effort of will. “Look, that Aston Martin cost more than a house. Does it have to be missing for more than twenty-four hours, too? It’ll be stripped bare in a chop shop in Tijuana by then!”

  “All right, sir,” the dispatcher said soothingly. “I’ll put out an APB on your car. What number may we reach you at if we find anything?”

  James gave his cell number and added Diego’s at the last minute, telling her it wouldn’t be answered until late evening. He hung up feeling no better than he had before he’d called. The dispatcher hadn’t sounded overly concerned about his car, probably thinking his “friend” had stolen it despite his protests. Besides, this was California. They had murders, assaults, domestic violence, drug deals and gangs—all of which were of much greater importance than a missing rich
-boy’s toy.

  The Corvette’s police scanner squawked a minute later and James breathed a silent sigh of relief when he heard the description of the Aston Martin come over it. Whatever the dispatcher had thought of his story, she’d acted on it rapidly. Now all he could do was hope someone, somewhere, would see Sian before the sun went down. He didn’t doubt Diego would be able to find her once it did, but he also was fairly certain Diego wouldn’t be happy when he tracked her down. It would undoubtedly be better to tell Diego that Sian was safe and give him time to cool down before he actually saw her again.

  It would be a long time before James forgot the look on Diego’s face when he’d realized Sian had left him.

  It was almost noon when James came upon the wreck. A sky-blue car had careened off the road and smashed against a concrete pillar, twisting it beyond recognition. He couldn’t tell if it was an Aston Martin or not and the plates weren’t visible, but the color was right. His heart froze with dread as he skidded to a stop on the shoulder and prayed.

  No one could have survived that.

  James jumped out of the ‘Vette and ran over, his throat almost too tight to breathe through. It was hard to tell where the driver’s door would have been in the wreckage but he guessed and ran over, dreading what he would see but knowing he had to look.

  The seat was empty.

  He registered the vacant seat as a footstep crunched on the gravel behind him. James whirled around, every nerve stretched taut with sudden foreboding. There was something going on here, something that had nothing to do with a car wreck.

  Three men stood behind him, all three at least as tall and muscular as James. He saw a fourth go to his ‘Vette and pull open the driver’s door.

  “Hey, asshole, get away from my car!” James shouted. The man paid no attention as he got in and slammed the door behind him. Ignoring James’s outrage, he took off down the highway without a backward glance.

  One of the other three smiled. “Brother Geoff has always wanted a Corvette,” he said with a nod at the mangled wreck. “He thanks you for replacing his lost vehicle.”

  James clenched his fists. “Brother Geoff can kiss my ass. You think I’m just going to stand here and let him take my car?”

  The man shrugged again and uncrossed his arms. As he did the collar of his shirt moved and James saw a red tattoo right at the base of his throat.

  A cross.

  James suddenly knew exactly who he was dealing with here. After Diego’s words about the Templars he’d done his homework, and that red cross was the same as the ones that had graced the shields of the Knights Templar during the Crusades. A glance confirmed the other two sported the same tattoo on their throats.

  None of this had been an accident.

  Still, he knew better than to let on that he’d figured them out. “Isn’t this a lot of trouble to go to, just to steal a ‘Vette?” he asked, waving a hand at the shattered debris. “You guys must suck at math because smashing one car to gain another one doesn’t make much sense.”

  The leader smiled. “You assume the car is what we were after, James.”

  He raised an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised they knew his name. Where was the traffic? This was a highway, for cripe’s sake—where was everyone? “If you wanted to talk to me, whoever you are, there are easier ways to find me than grand theft auto.”

  The leader laughed at James’s heavy sarcasm. “Forget the car. We know it’s not yours anyway, and taking from a demon isn’t stealing.”

  Okay, this was getting old. James rolled his shoulders, readying himself for action. “Yeah, that’s convenient reasoning. Works for me. Now, if you gents don’t mind, I have places to go and things to do.” He reached into his pocket for his cell, hitting the speed dial for Diego’s and pushing “send” before he even drew it out of his pocket. He was smart enough to know what they planned and he couldn’t let Diego fall into a trap if there was anything he could do to prevent it.

  James wouldn’t be the first Steward to die for his vampire, and he didn’t regret it for an instant. He knew what Diego did for mortals. He was far too important a protector to lose.

  As he’d anticipated, they jumped for him before he got the phone out of his pocket, but he’d learned to fight from a thousand–year-old warrior and if they thought he was going down easy they were in for a surprise. James caught the first man in mid-punch, grabbing his wrist as he swung and twisting it up behind his back until something inside snapped. The second man’s punch ended up hitting his partner in the jaw and he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

  James let him drop and grinned even as he ducked the third man’s tackle, hoping Diego’s voice mail had picked up. “And you call yourselves vampire hunters. You guys should be in ballet,” he laughed, his voice a little over-loud to be sure his words were recognizable. “But I’d recommend working on your choreography first.”

  He heard a car in the distance and pushed down the surge of relief. Even if the driver didn’t stop—and he hoped they wouldn’t—surely they’d call the cops at the sight of a wrecked car and a brawl on the side of the road.

  He didn’t have time to look at the car, much less signal the driver. The leader was coming back at him and James feinted to the side, avoiding a punch that might well have taken his head off had it connected, while simultaneously hooking his foot behind the leader’s knee and knocking him off his feet. Before James could deliver a kick to the head, which would’ve knocked him out, the second one attacked, wrapping him in a bear-hug from behind and squeezing tight enough to make James’s breath hiss out. He had to do something before the Templar snapped his ribs.

  James snapped his head sharply back, ignoring the burst of pain that shot through his skull when he smashed the man’s nose. The grip around him loosened enough for James to take a breath and he kicked back, taking out his attacker’s knee.

  They fell hard and James managed to scramble to his feet, breathing hard but still ready to take out the leader. He heard the squeal of tires and groaned silently. He didn’t want anyone else mixed up in this. He had his hands full enough without having to worry about an innocent bystander.

  “Stay in your car!” he shouted without taking his eyes off his last adversary as he got to his feet.

  The leader laughed at James’s warning and stepped back. James barely had time to wonder why when a “pop” sounded behind him an instant before a sharp sting pierced the side of his neck.

  He whirled, his hand flying up to yank the dart out of his skin as he finally saw the car that had stopped. His own Corvette.

  Brother Geoff was leaning out the window with a tranquilizer gun still in his hand.

  “Cheaters,” James said thickly, and everything went black.

  * * *

  Diego woke as the sun left the sky, the shrill ring of the phone harsh in his ear. He grabbed it. “James?”

  The laugh that answered him was definitely not his Steward. “Lose something, demon?”

  Diego literally saw red. At that moment, he didn’t care how the hell the Templars had gotten his cell number. “Where is she, you bastard?” he demanded.

  There was the briefest pause. “Well, well, well, how very interesting that you should ask where she is, instead of enquiring after your slave. And to think we actually let the woman go. Perhaps we grabbed the wrong prize.”

  Diego closed his eyes in horror. They didn’t have Sian. They had James, and he’d just given them far too much information. In his fear for Sian, he’d inadvertently put her in far more danger and made his Steward much more disposable. He could have cheerfully bitten out his tongue. “Talk,” he snarled into the phone.

  “Testy, aren’t we? Wake up on the wrong side of the coffin, demon?”

  He wasn’t in the mood for this. “Do you want something or are you merely calling to annoy me?”

  “You know what we want,” the Templar replied softly. “A stake through your heart, your head cut off, your body burned and the ashes thrown into swif
t water. We learned how to kill your evil long ago, demon.”

  He couldn’t believe the lengths these people went to to kill his kind. In reality, it didn’t take anything that drastic—destruction of the brain or heart would suffice—but he’d rather go through the whole process alive than give them that little tidbit of information.

  “Well, gee, can you hold while I go do that?” Diego replied sarcastically. “Any particular wood you recommend for the stake? Oh, and you might want to send someone over with a dustpan for the ashes. I might have a bit of a problem dumping my charred ass in the closest river when I’m done.”

  When the Templar spoke again he sounded considerably less smug. “I’ll make sure to tell your thrall you were making jokes as we cut off his fingers.”

  “If you harm him, I’ll tear you to pieces and keep you alive to enjoy it,” Diego snarled.

  “The Lord God protects his servants, demon. You cannot touch us.”

  “Are you certain? Why don’t you tell me where to find you and let’s put it to the test.”

  The Templar laughed. “All right, demon. Come to us, it’ll save us time.” He gave an address and hung up.

  Diego was on the balcony and already calling the form of a hawk when he paused. He couldn’t run out like this. James needed him, yes, and he had no intention of leaving his friend in those fanatics’ hands, but he had to think of Sian too.

  The Templars would be looking for her now that he’d inadvertently let them know she was his mate. He tried to reach her, to send her a warning, but she was blocking him now as she’d been doing last night. He didn’t dare use their blood-bond to scan for her location. He knew he’d go to her instead of James—instinct would demand no less—but James was in the most danger right now.

  Instead he pulled out his phone and dialed. As angry as he was at Eli for getting him into this mess, he couldn’t afford to hold a grudge. “I need your help,” Diego said as soon as Eli picked up the phone.

  “Yes, you do,” Eli replied, and Diego ground his teeth to hold back his own scathing reply. “I’ve already called Ronin. You won’t see him, but when you go after James, you’ll have backup.”