Escape (Elite Supernatural Trackers Book 3)

by Heather Renee

  “No, why?” I asked.

  “Because I suspect, the more time you spend around the Luccovinos, the more your vampire side might come out. The same way your witch powers grew in the prison.”

  “How did you know I’d spent time with them? I only just saw them yesterday.”

  He tsked. “I have eyes and ears everywhere. Haven’t you learned that by now?”

  I hadn’t had my coffee yet, so I blamed that for my moment of forgetfulness as I finally remembered how Greggor knew where I’d been.

  “No, you don’t. Jaxon came to see you and you refused to help him, so really, I should tell you to piss off. Is that all you called for?” I snapped.

  “Not exactly. I also wanted to advise you to work on your absorption powers.”

  “Why?” I questioned.

  He sighed. “That’s for you to figure out later. I don’t have time to argue with you, so don’t ask any more stupid questions.”

  Oh, he totally cared. The demon was showing his cards. Even if he hadn’t helped yesterday, it mattered to him whether I lived or died. Whether that was because he actually gave two shits about me or it benefited him in some way was still to be determined. I didn’t have my hopes up about either option, but still, I wanted to make him squirm a little.

  My voice softened. “Thank you, Greggor. Your compassion means so much to me, and it won’t go unpaid. You’ve been a real lifesaver since we stopped Gillian.”

  He choked, coughed, and recovered within seconds. “What? No. Just do the fucking training. Or don’t do it. I. Don’t. Care.” Then, the phone cut off and I laughed my ass off.

  Oh, how I had needed that. My endorphins were beginning to pump again, making me want to get off the pity-party train and back on the I’m-about-to-kick-some-vamp-ass train. Well, right after I had my liquid gold. Regardless if Greggor had been a douche about withholding information, I was going to heed his advice.

  Plus, it had been too many days since I’d really used my muscles, and my body was craving the release. The stronger I grew, the more I needed to utilize the powers within me before I felt like I was going to explode.

  Glancing down at my fingertips, tiny sparks of lightning flickered off of them and I grinned. Training was going to be so much more fun as long as the others let me use magic.

  Jaxon walked out onto the porch, holding two steaming cups of my morning caffeine dose. “Figured you’d been out here a while; you’d probably be more than ready for coffee.”

  I eyed the cups, contemplating taking them both, but only took the one. “You guessed right.”

  “I heard laughter. Do I need to worry about your sanity, or did something happen?” he asked, moving in closer so our shoulders were touching.

  “Greggor called. I was just getting ready to come tell you about it.”

  He raised a brow. “Greggor made you laugh so loudly I could hear you through the walls?”

  “Not exactly. I was screwing with him, because he’s withholding information. Had to get my payback somehow.”

  Jaxon shook his head. “You know he could crush you if he wanted, right?”

  “What can I say? I like to live dangerously.” My shoulders shrugged as I chugged the deliciousness in my hands.

  “So, what did he say?” Jaxon asked, but I held my finger up as I finished the hot liquid. “You’re certifiable,” he added.

  My tongue darted out, licking up every last drop. “Yes, but you still want me, so it really doesn’t matter.”

  His eyes heated, so before things could get out of hand, I finally answered his question. “Greggor said I needed to practice my power absorption that you guys figured out. He wouldn’t say why, but apparently, it’s going to come in handy for something at some point.”

  “Is that it?”

  “Oh, and he asked if I’d been craving blood.” Jaxon’s eyes bulged. “I haven’t. Calm down before you have an aneurism. I’m still same old me. I think.”

  “Well, let’s get the others, even Jenna, and head out into the backyard to practice. I’m sure Zeke wouldn’t be too happy if we did so indoors and broke all of his shit.”

  Zeke might not be, but it would sure as hell be fun for the rest of us.

  Later that morning, after a breakfast consisting of solids and liquids for our vamp guest, we all headed out back to get started with some training.

  I was feeling pretty confident with my magic and hand-to-hand, but I’d had mostly horrible experiences trying to use the absorption, so I wasn’t looking forward to pushing myself harder with that particular trait.

  Nixie did her fairy thing and fluttered around the yard, spreading dust everywhere until we all backed up. When she was done and everything settled, mats appeared on the grass.

  “Good thinking, Nix,” I called out across the yard.

  Jenna’s eyes were round saucers, and Blake wasn’t having much luck getting her to move, so I stepped in. “Blake, why don’t you go help Jaxon?”

  “With what?”

  “With whatever he’s doing. Just go away.”

  He glared at me but did as he was told.

  Jenna finally turned to me. “I can’t do this. I’ve never even been to a gym before. I can’t fight. I’m not meant for this life.”

  My hands held her shoulders tightly. “Listen, Jenna. We’re not going to force you to do something you’re not comfortable with, but if you’re going to be hanging around us, then you at least need to know basic skills. Think of this as a women’s self-defense class. You wouldn’t have been opposed to one of those as a human, right?”

  She hesitated, and I couldn’t believe it.

  “Do you have no sense of self-preservation?” I asked as kindly as I could, but still, she flinched.

  “I’m from a small town where crime isn’t in our papers every day. I’ve never had a reason to think any of this was necessary. So, while yes, I would love to live, I’m not comfortable with the thought of punching someone in the face.” Her voice rose at the end, and the bit of strength I’d seen pop up on occasion seeped through.

  “I get it. Sorta. I wasn’t raised like you, but I understand your hesitation. You just need to realize that if you want this life with Blake, it comes with dangers you need to be prepared for. I’m not saying you need to become the next Tomb Raider, but a little effort would ease some stress off the rest of us. Unless you really are just that scared, then you can sit out and we’ll leave you home for any missions.”

  She hissed, showing her fangs without seeming to mean to, then immediately slapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

  I loved reverse psychology.

  “It’s okay. But right there, that is what you need to grasp on to. You have predator instincts within you now that didn’t exist before. Even when you think you can’t do something, don’t be afraid to try. You just might surprise yourself. Plus, you’re a lot more durable now. Simple things you might have feared before can’t hurt you. I see the fire in you. Now you just have to let it out.”

  She grinned, clearly pleased with my compliment. “Thank you, Cara. That really means a lot to me. This is harder to accept than I anticipated, and I’m worried about Kristen. I can’t stand the thought of thinking she’s dead, but I’ll try harder to keep an open mind.”

  “We’ll keep looking for her, but if you want to help with the search, you need to get on those mats and be prepared to have your ass kicked.”

  She nodded, holding her head high as a renewed determination filled her. “Let’s do it.”

  Jenna walked ahead of me, and I was proud of her and myself. For the last several years, I’d only been looking out for myself. I’d been hurt so many times before that, it had been easier to just push people away than let them in. Then, somehow, the Fabled Four had broken down my walls. It was nice to feel again, to take the risk with my heart and give a damn.

  Even if I knew forging new relationships wouldn’t always work out, it was worth the effort merely for the ones that would. Glancing
toward the mats, I saw Blake reach for Jenna, wearing a soft smile filled with admiration. Mason and Nixie were sparring with only magic given their size differences, while Spencer was off to the side meditating and probably communicating with nature.

  Lastly, my eyes found Jaxon. He was already watching me, an unreadable expression on his face, but his eyes told me everything I needed to know. The soft glow of the grey depths held so much more emotion in them than he normally let people see, and I was grateful to be one of the select few he let his walls down with.

  I had previously thought being arrested was the worst thing that could have happened to me, but just maybe it had been the best thing.

  I walked toward Jaxon, but then picked up speed and ended up leaping into his arms. My lips crashed down on his in a heated kiss as his hands held my ass, pressing me tightly against him.

  “What was that for?” he asked when I finally pulled back.

  “Just because I can. Now, are you ready to have your ass kicked?” I taunted with glee.

  Today was going to be a good day, and we were going to make this training fun, not just for Jenna, but also because we needed it as a group.

  “Give it your best shot, Flower.” He smirked before letting me slowly slide down his front where his workout pants left little to the imagination.

  My hands pressed onto his chest, and I was already preparing, but he had no idea. “Oh, you can bet your sexy ass I will.” I was also distracting him while I practiced drawing power from him.

  Jaxon was a demon. I had no idea what I was doing, but I could feel myself growing stronger by the second. That was until he realized what I was doing and jerked away.

  “Why are your eyes turning crimson?”” he seethed.

  “Maybe because I’ve already got one up on you in the ass-kicking department.” Without pause, I flung the energy I’d taken from him right back, successfully knocking him to the ground with a thud.

  He was back up in a moment and in my face. “Don’t fucking do that again. You could have accidentally taken my demon, and I’d rather not find out what those consequences would be.” His words were full of anger, but true fear also laced through, and I realized how right he was. I had to be careful how and when I used the absorption. We already knew trying it on vamps was a horrible idea. I was adding demons to that list as well.

  “Got it, but I did get you, so it was worth it.” His chest rumbled as I sidestepped him and walked toward the others. “So, who wants to be my first victim?”

  Blake raised his hand first. “Probably safest to begin with me first.”

  He was always such a worrier, but I appreciated his concern for my safety and wasn’t going to argue.

  “Let’s go, Notebooker. We’ll fight, and I’ll steal from you while we do.”

  He seemed hesitant. “How about you get the basics down and learn to walk before you run, Siren? You steal my power, use it on someone else successfully, and then once it’s worked, we can move on to multitasking.”

  Maybe a little arguing would be okay…

  “Listen to him, Cara. If Greggor said this is important, then you need to take this seriously,” Nixie said from Mason’s shoulder.

  Damn. If she was going to be concerned like that, then I guess I wouldn’t be defiant, but I’d definitely have more questions for her later. There was no way she’d be agreeing if she didn’t know more than she’d been letting on.

  “Okay, then.” I moved closer to Blake and placed my hand on his chest, then smirked.

  Jenna was standing close, and based on the snarls she was trying to hold in, she did not like me touching her man. Regardless of how afraid she might have thought she was, I knew she was going to be okay. Her new natural instincts were going to do her well.

  Ignoring the adorable vamp who kept moving in a millimeter closer by the second, I began to syphon Blake’s empath powers, and an idea was already growing in my head. He stood in front of me, seeming to have no clue I was already taking from him, and as he was paying attention to me, he was completely missing what was happening right next to him.

  “Siren, we don’t have all day,” he muttered.

  “I know. We have about three seconds.” Counting down in my head, I removed my hand and placed it on Jenna’s shoulder the moment before she pounced on me, forcing her to calm down.

  “Easy, girl. I don’t want Blake. I have Jaxon, remember?” My eyes stayed locked on hers until the haze went away.

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” she cried, but my head was already shaking.

  “It’s okay. I know what the problem is even if the two of you haven’t figured it out.”

  Blake’s forehead creased. “What are you talking about?”

  I sighed. I really thought he knew. “Come on, Yeti. I thought you were the smart one of the group. Jenna is your bonded half. Insta-love isn’t a real thing—we don’t live in a fairytale—but being bonded is. It might be rare, even more so outside your own race, but you were meant to find her.”

  They exchanged shocked stares before Blake picked Jenna up and carried her off like the proper caveman he was going to turn into now that the truth had smacked him in the face. At least I had completed my first successful syphoning and use of power without throwing up.

  “How did you know?” Spencer asked, surprising me because I had thought he was still off being one with the Earth.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. How did you guys not know? Blake is never possessive or aggressive, yet he’s been protecting Jenna as if his life depended on it. Seemed pretty obvious to me.”

  “She’s right. Your thick-headed pea brains just aren’t familiar enough with caring about other people,” Nixie added in the eloquent way only she seemed to know how.

  Mason raised a brow. “Is that so?”

  Nixie flew into his face. “Don’t test me today, Fae. I’m not in the mood.”

  He held his hands up in surrender. “Whatever you say, Fairy.”

  So much for the training being filled with fun.

  “Come on, Siren. Let’s take your training up a notch,” Spencer said, and I followed him away from the tension with Jaxon right behind me.

  “You want to fight and try to steal from me?” he asked, and I nodded. “I’m not going to take it easy on you,” he added.

  “I would be disappointed if you did.”

  Jaxon’s chest rumbled, and I turned toward him. “The bloodsuckers won’t take it easy on me, either. I need to be prepared.”

  “I know, but doesn’t mean I like it.”

  “And that’s okay as long as you let me do what needs to be done regardless of how overprotective you’d like to be.”

  Before he could respond, a branch whipped out and smacked my head. “Hey! Not cool, dude.”

  “Quit talking about your feelings and get moving,” Spencer snapped.

  Fine. I would, and I’d also make sure he didn’t like it.

  Chapter 13

  After calling my powers forward, I readied my hands and moved in. Spencer’s face was textured like tree bark, but still his regular skin color. His fingers were no longer present, and in their place were tree branches that he seemed to be able to grow on demand.

  I stalked toward him and shot lightning from my palm straight into his chest when I was close enough, but he didn’t seem fazed. “Wood only makes a good conduit for electricity if it’s wet. Unfortunately for you, today is a sunny day.” Spencer reached out and hit me, knocking me on my ass.

  Not a problem. I had other powers I could use besides the lightning. Gathering a spell in my hands, I flung it at him and moved in closer so I could touch him. I wouldn’t be able to absorb anything if I didn’t make contact.

  Spence was only stunned for a moment, but I was in and out of proximity as quickly as possible. My connection wasn’t long enough to use his ability, but it was start. Hopefully, after a few more hits like that, I’d have my own branches to control.

  “Very good, Siren. Let�
�s see if you can duplicate it,” Spencer taunted.

  Gods, I was really going to enjoy kicking his ass. He was too sure of himself, and I badly wanted to bring him down a peg or two. “You can bet on it, Groot.”

  The use of his hated nickname made him see red, and he lost concentration, so I was able to sneak in for another moment of power-stealing while trading blows with him. Fighting with a moving tree was probably on the list of top five weirdest things I’d ever done.

  We continued to dance around each other until I finally felt like I had enough of his power stored within me that I could use it, but the problem was that I had no idea how to do so.

  My mind willed my hands and arms to turn into branches, but nothing was working. Maybe I hadn’t syphoned enough of his powers, though I had been so sure I had.

  “What’s wrong? You tired already?” Spencer asked right before sending a branch toward my head, but I caught it before it could make contact.

  When my hands wrapped around the bark, I felt a surge within me and concentrated on the texture. Spencer was always meditating and outside whenever possible making me believe that I needed to draw on his same tranquility.

  All too soon, he figured out what I was doing, and his arm withdrew from my grasp. I lost the momentum I’d been gaining, but I knew what I needed to do.

  Clearing my head, I squared my shoulders and focused my attention on everything around me that wasn’t supernatural: the grass, the trees, the air, the animals that skittered in the trees beyond the yard. Spencer had a connection to them all, and it was incredible, but it was mostly with the trees that made the power within me rise.

  Spencer tried to plow me down, but my feet were literally rooted into the ground, so I wasn’t going to budge. The shocked look on his face made everything worth it, especially when my fingers turned to short branches and I smacked him across the face.

  “I get it now. Your ability, what you are. It’s amazing,” I said as I turned back into my normal form.

  He grinned as the welt marks disappeared from my hit. “It certainly has its perks.”