Dark Hunter

by Shannan Albright

  He bristled at the insult. His honor above reproach, the slight fueled his anger. “My vows hold true. I have never once turned from them. Well, before the Tribunal brought for then forcers to aid the Breeds.”

  “Then you shall not turn away our request.”

  He ground his teeth in futile frustration. The wily sidhe had maneuvered him into corner with no way out other than breaking his vows. His tone harsh, rough as ground glass, he spoke the words, which damned his heart’s desire. “I shall help as required, but know this… I will not stay and make my home with your kind. My heart is bound here with this woman and the world she lives in. Are we clear?”

  “As clear as a pool of still water, warrior. Come, take my hand and follow,” the woman bade, her arm outstretched in an invitation he grudgingly took. He turned to look at Mari, frozen in place, the look of horror etched in every beloved line on her delicate face. “I shall return to you, and we will never be parted again. My vows shall never sway me from your side again, this I pledge.”

  His words whispered in the stillness added weight to the oath.

  The world misted white as the scene changed suddenly a face came into view, a cold breathtaking beauty. Eyes the color of diamonds and just as icy focused on her. The pupils, small pinpricks of black onyx, held disdain. Golden blonde hair was swept away from her perfectly formed face, and there was a sneer on her full, pink lips.

  “So you think to leave us?”

  “Yes, my queen.” Navar’s words were wooden, carrying not a trace of emotion.

  “And why would I release you? Our enemies still exist and the threat remains.”

  “I brought you proof your greatest advisory breathes no more.” Navar swept his hand toward the head which rested at her feet. “Balick the Dark will no longer be a threat to you. The lycan Cassie is an accomplished hunter and can take my place with ease.”

  “And what do you have which is so important that you would leave us?” The queen leaned forward, eyes narrowed and glittering with anger.

  “I weary of this life. Mistakes happen when one is tired. It’s time for me to move on. The human realm calls to me and I know I’m needed there.” Navar spoke truthfully, knowing anything less would unleash the queen’s wrath.

  “You mean to say your woman is calling you.” Her words dripped with acid. “I know you have spent much time watching the woman when on missions on the other side.”

  “This is true and you also know she never once knew I was there,” he countered.

  “You know what must be done in order to garner you freedom.”

  “Yes, my queen.”

  She leaned closer, her warm breath sweet as it fanned against his cheek. “There will be much pain, this I promise. You can never speak a word of your time here. To do so will bring death to you and your woman. Are we clear?”

  “I am very aware of the penalty.” Navar agreed. An edge of impatience colored his words.

  “You know she will never trust you, Navar. Not when you can’t explain why you were released, why you were gone for so long.” She chuckled. “You will come back to me when she refuses you,” she taunted him.

  He ground his back teeth against the sudden anger flooding his veins. He would not lose control this close to gaining his freedom. He would take what the queen doled out and be done with her. He couldn’t even think about Mari refusing him, there would be plenty of time to worry later, once he was free.

  “I will take my chances.”

  Mari blinked, her surroundings coming back into focus. The last defense to her heart crumbled with the knowledge of his memories. He’d never wanted to leave her, and she knew he would not leave her behind again. She now knew the reason he kept so much from her and sadness seeped into her heart as she realized the heavy burden he carried. Her gaze caressed the sharp angles of his masculine face.

  She loved him more than she thought possible.

  ****

  Navar came out of her memories with a shuddering breath. His heart was bruised after witnessing the centuries of isolation she’d endured, never opening her heart completely to anyone, a gnawing chasm filled with only loneliness as her constant companion. The shock of seeing his apparent death had left a bleeding wound within her soul. How she’d functioned with so much pain was beyond him.

  Yet she retained the capacity for compassion. Her memories made clear her mission to aid victims touched by the abuse of others. Her shelters built to nurture those broken by violence attested to a caring heart.

  His cock hardened again, nestled snugly within her, and he was surprised to find himself still buried within her slick folds. Her inner muscles clenched around him in a ripple of pleasure. He hissed in a breath as an echoing spike of arousal answered his own. The sensation of feeling of his cock in her channel sent spikes of pleasure racing through his blood stream. Her eyes widened in shock as she too felt his rising desire. Her lids lowered as a low moan came from her parted lips.

  He bent over one enticing mound, took the dark pebbled bud into his mouth, and suckled deep. A spike of raw desire lit him up, nerve endings on fire as pleasure raced through his blood. The sensation spread from his own nipple down to his cock.

  Gods above, the sensations!

  Feeling her pleasure as if it was his own brought his pulse hammering though his body, his heart finding and matching Mari’s. The echo of his pleasure built, bouncing off hers, growing in intensity until he couldn’t differentiate between the two. He didn’t know how long he could hang on before spilling deep within her at this rate. One of his fangs grazed lightly over the hard peak of her nipple. He shivered as the backlash of her reactions pinged off his own, growing in intensity with every swipe of his tongue. Placing his weight on his forearms, he moved inside her in a lazy rhythm.

  He raised his head and brushed his lips gently over her jaw and down the slim column of her throat, relishing the taste of salt, cinnamon, and moonlight on his tongue. A small whimper poured from her and he groaned with sheer unadulterated bliss as her inner muscles tightened around him.

  “Harder, gods, this is incredible!” she gasped, her nails biting deep into his shoulders as she clung to him, her back arching to encourage deeper penetration.

  His control shattered like fragile glass, his passion echoing in the intense waves crashing over him by the link he shared with Mari, enough to shove him over the edge. He threw his head back with a roar, eyes closed against the searing pleasure coursing through his body. Small bursts of light flashed against his closed lids as he rode the swell of sensation and felt Mari come apart beneath him. A second climax hit him with the force of a F5 tornado, hurling him into a vortex of sensation beyond anything in his experience. His chest heaved with the need for air as he spilled his seed deep within her womb with such power his cocked ached for the force of his climax, the sensations hammered at him with such paralyzing pleasure that he could only ride the continuing surge as it drew out.

  Spent at last, he used the last of his strength to collapse on his side, not wishing to crush Mari with his bulk, and drew her into his arms. For a while, only the sound of their ragged breathing could be heard as they recuperated.

  “Wow…just…wow.” Mari chuckled once she could control her breath.

  “I must agree with you there. What an amazing feeling. To know how I feel moving inside of you, the caress of my hands on your body. Your response to my lovemaking is an exquisite addiction I want much more of.”

  Mari snuggled closer, resting her cheek against his still racing heart. “It will take some getting used to, but I’ll suffer through it.” She chuckled.

  Her words pleased him. Now all he needed to do was keep her alive.

  Chapter Seven

  Navar ached from the tension in his body. It had been a week and nothing. Every day at dusk, they would leave her apartment and relieve the day crew at The Asp, going about their day as if nothing had occurred and the threat against her life had never happened.

  A fucking week!
>
  Taking his post at the entrance to the back rooms, his gaze skimmed the crowded bar before returning to where Mari mixed drinks and joked with her customers. Every night they made their way back to their haven. Only then would he breathe easier. If not for Adrian sitting calmly in a booth set back in the shadows, he would have carried her away kicking and screaming, as far away as it took to keep her safe. Mari was his first priority, now and forever. His consort would never again be alone in this world. He would protect her with his last breath.

  Could he have been mistaken? He thought back to the words written on that bloody piece of paper. No, the meaning came through loud and clear. Mari would be next on the killer’s list. His hands clenched at his sides, his usual calm hanging by a mere thread. The patience he normally held an abundance of had deserted him. Too close to the situation to show any form of objectivity, he wanted nothing more than to rip the head of the faceless menace threatening his woman.

  Whatever you are thinking, stop. You’re scaring my customers.

  The scolding tone belied the laughter in Mari’s voice as her words and essence caressed him, soothing the tension out of his shoulders and neck. Akasha, I’m hanging on here by a thread. Torn between wishing our killer would make his move and terrified he will do just that.

  I have complete faith you will protect me, Navar.

  The sincerity ringing through her voice and the complete trust within their entwined souls humbled him. Once again he felt the stab of guilt. The uncertainty of being unworthy latched on with sharp talons and threatened to tear him apart.

  Her calm, loving presence embraced him like a soothing balm. Enough of that. I do not give of myself freely, as you well know. You are more than worthy in my eyes and this should be enough for you, she gently scolded. Now stop looking like you are ready to eat people.

  Their eyes met and locked. Navar was struck dumb all over again by the unflinching faith glittering in her dark eyes. His chest warmed with love, and a smile twitched at his lips. She grinned back and gave a saucy wink before she went back to work.

  “Stop mooning over your lady love and take a look at the booth near the back.”

  Adrian’s voice at his ear made him start. Gods above, the man’s stealth could only be named otherworldly. And wasn’t that apropos? After all, the man standing beside him held the blood of the Tuatha de Danann. He was a sidhe warrior skilled in the art of warfare, a dangerous enemy to have.

  Navar did as ordered and looked into the back booth where he saw…movement. An indistinct shape shifted within the dark shadows. His chest pounded with sudden excitement. Finally. As if on cue,he and Adrian moved in opposite directions, keeping to the crowds as much as possible to block off any chance of escape. They had him. Anger burned through Navar as he imagined the many ways he would enjoy killing the vermin.

  When Navar was only a few steps away, the figure stiffened as if he knew they were closing in. The man’s head swiveled back and forth in a jerky erratic motion. Any other time it would register as odd, but the rage Navar held onto with an iron fist burst through his control, scattering any logic. Only pure primal animal remained as he lunged with a burst of blurring speed. It took a matter of moments for Navar to grab the man by the throat and lift him up and over the booth. A choked grunt of pain came out of the man’s throat as Navar slammed him into the wall and tightened his fingers on his windpipe.

  The man clawed at Navar’s hands in a feeble desperation, his fear stoking the raging inferno of Navar’s anger up another notch. Navar’s vision turned red as he watched the man’s futile attempts to escape.

  Navar put his face up close and snarled, showing a good amount of fang. The man’s eyes rounded with terror, his youthful face ashen. “Now, you die,” Navar growled.

  “I d-didn’t…let me go! Please, I didn’t do anything, just sat in the booth I was told to,” he gasped out as Navar’s fingers tightened further.

  “Let the boy go, Navar. He is not the one we seek.” Adrian’s hand landed gently on his shoulder, earning a snarl of displeasure, yet Adrian said calmly, “Look at him, scent him. This is but a boy and human. Control your temper and you will see.”

  With a dark curse, Navar released him, breathing deep as he wrestled his anger and frustration back down. His mind cleared of the red haze and he did a quick scan of the crowd, relieved they paid them no mind. Mari didn’t need another scene. As it stood, her customers were more than a little nervous, but they showed up for no other reason than to support her. Seemed his consort held a great deal of respect from the locals here. Pride swelled in his chest at the thought.

  Much calmer just thinking about Mari, he turned his attention back to the man who now sat in the booth with Adrian on the other side. Slipping into the seat next to the enforcer, Navar eyed the human, taking in his ordinary appearance. Brown hair worn short, brown eyes, a bit on the thin side. Everything about him screamed average, someone he would miss in a crowd.

  “Derick here was just telling me a very interesting bit of information, weren’t you?”

  The boy…Derick, shot him a nervous look and nodded slowly, swallowing so hard his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Ah, yeah. Look, dude, I got this note to meet my girl here, said it was urgent she talk to me.”

  “Your girl? Does this girl have a name?” Navar kept his tone even, not wanting to scare Derick anymore than he already had.

  “Sure, it’s Anya. She works here. I haven’t heard from her for a while and started getting worried. Then I get this email telling me to meet her here at this booth at eight sharp.”

  “It would seem our friend here is being set up as bait.” Adrian frowned.

  An uneasy feeling stole over Navar, turning into dread with each heartbeat. He reached for his link to Mari and found…nothing.

  Fear coiled tightly in his gut as he tried again, and again he got nothing but a blank hole where Mari should be. He leapt out of the booth and headed toward the bar, heart in his throat. His pulse sped up like a runaway train.

  Fear gripped his chest in a steel fist, squeezing his lungs so tightly only a short gasp of air got in. He searched the bar, desperate to hold down the panic, as warning bells sounded in his head. No trace of Mari could be found. He turned in a frantic circle, his mind going blank on where next to look.

  “Derick, it seems, was an effective distraction.” Adrian’s voice came from his left.

  Navar threw him a look promising death. His gut churned with a toxic mixture of anger and fear. Gods above, they had her and he didn’t have a clue where to look. He needed to get it together and fast if he stood any chance of saving Mari’s life.

  ****

  Mari watched as Navar and Adrian moved around the room, using the crowd as cover while they cautiously approached the back booth. The same booth where she’d discovered Anya’s body…no, she refused to go there, not here and sure as hell not now.

  Her curiosity was eating her alive. She wanted to know what they found so interesting in the back booth, but from her angle at the bar, she couldn’t get a clear view.

  “Hey, babe, I need a Jack straight.”

  The voice brought her up short. Forgetting about her customers and giving bad service was not acceptable to her, and it was a good way to lose her bar. She plastered a big smile on her face and turned to the asshole who’d called her babe. “Coming right up.”

  Grabbing a rocks glass, she poured two fingers of the golden brown alcohol and set it in front of the man. “That will be five-fifty.”

  “Put it on a tab.” The man gave her a tight smile, his fingers closing over hers around the glass.

  A shiver worked its way up her spine, sending barbs of unease thorough her body. The cold from where his fingers rested on hers sank into her, giving her goose bumps. She noted his dirty blond hair hanging in limp strands against a gaunt face and the odd, slightly rotten odor emanating from his massive frame. He was dressed in a plain black T-shirt and jeans streaked with dark stains, but many of her customers came here r
ight from work.

  No, the warning bells sounded when she looked into the crimson lights flickering in his eyes. His face was unusually flushed. As she watched with growing horror, he gave her a wide-toothed smile showing stained teeth, and dear gods, a sickly green substance dripped from his elongated canines. Realization hit her with all the force of a freight train.

  Feral.

  Her futile attempt to pull her fingers free only resulted in his grip tightening, threatening to crush her bones, as he shoved his face up way too close to hers. His fetid breath made her stomach roil with nausea. “I’ll break every finger in your fucking hand if you make any sudden moves.”

  Fear rooted her feet to the spot. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest she thought she would break a rib. “It was you? Why?” Her demand came out on a thin whisper, but the acute hearing of the feral vampire meant he heard it well enough.

  “Your relationship with the enforcers has not gone unnoticed. Now you take up with a hunter? It’s time to send a message to all who choose to stand in our way, and you will be the message.”

  “This is neutral territory. I can damn well serve anyone I want or refuse them. And that means anyone who walks through my door. I won’t be bullied to change my mind.” She hissed between her teeth, anger spiking her adrenaline as she yanked free and took a step back out of his reach while she glared at him. “Now, get the fuck out of my bar, and don’t come back.”

  He shot her a nasty smile, his eyes focused on a point behind her left shoulder. She fought the urge to look behind her, her gaze instead darting around the room for any sign someone would be watching the altercation.

  Nope, and wasn’t that just her luck?

  She opened the mental pathway to get Navar’s attention. A sharp burning sting in her neck made her gasp in sudden pain. As prickling heat traveled down her neck to her arms, she turned around on wobbly legs as weakness stole through her body only to confront a pair of familiar blue eyes. A wall slammed down hard in her mind, her call bouncing back at her with enough reverb to make her temples start beating like war drums in her head. Her arms were yanked back with savage force, but she didn’t have time to fight as a pair of fangs sank deep into the flesh between her neck and shoulder for a second time. The second dose of poison pulsated through her bloodstream, rendering her helpless, paralyzed, and unable to protect herself. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as her vision spun and she realized with sick dread that the feral had lifted her up and away from the bar to carry her out with pathetic ease.