“Tonight, we will get the justice for you and she will be out of our lives forever.”
“You’re not doing this for me. You’re doing it for yourself.”
He tossed his head back in laughter. It was almost sinister, “Yes, and the feed. Everyone is worked up about that part as well,” he said grinning evilly.
I never said a word about the blood. He was looking forward to it as much as they were. When we talked about it, he made it seem like he didn’t drink it. He had lied to me about it. He lied about everything. He did drink the blood and still does. He was looking forward to hunting down the vampires and drinking them dry. I wish I could only understand the effects of the blood and what it did to their bodies, how it made them feel. Did they get high off of it and if they did, what kind of high was it? Was it a drug induced high?
I chose to ride with Marie. We walked outside and all mobilized for the attack. Before I could climb into the truck Gage grabbed me from behind and turned me around.
“I know you might not want me to do this but I need to,” he put his lips to mine and kissed me hard. “You will always be mine, Jess,” he demanded against my lips as I pushed as hard as I could on his chest. Our lips broke apart in a smack as I shoved him back.
“Are you nuts? I don’t want to be with you,” I turned to climb in the truck but stopped. I spun around to face him again and his face was stricken with rage. It scared me a bit but this had to be said. “I. Hate. You! Do not touch me again!”
As I put on my seat belt, I could see Rayce leaning up against the building. His face held anger and he was shaking his head no in my direction. He watched me intently. My body flushed with longing as I made eye contact. Though we had never been together in any way, I felt drawn to him in ways I had never known with a man. The compelling need to be close to him was strong, and he was damn sexy. His gaze was primal, and being his prey was an erotic thought.
He winked at me as Marie pulled out of the parking lot.
CHAPTER
13
My mind was spinning with questions. I figured I would start with Marie and see if maybe she could answer some for me.
“Do you like doing this job?”
She smiled at me, showing almost all of her teeth, “Yes, I do. I like it very much. Plus, I get to kill vampires. After all this is done, I get to go home with Jay and we have spectacular sex.”
“Seriously?”
“What?”
“I don’t want to think about my boss having sex,” I expressed with a shiver.
“Jessica, people have sex,” she said giggling and then suddenly stopped. “Are you a virgin?”
“Hell no.”
“Oh, good,” she sighed in relief. Who knew my sex life was of great importance? “There is nothing gross about your boss having sex.”
“I know that. I just don’t want to hear about it.” Sex between me and his brother wasn’t what I would call spectacular. It was good but not mind-blowing or anything. “How long have you been doing this?”
“Not long at all, only a few months.” She turned down a dirt road. I wasn’t looking forward to walking in the dark toward a war with vampires, but Marie would be with me.
“So, you weren’t born this way?”
Her face was also confused for a moment, “No, some of the hellhounds are born into the pack, like the brothers but not me, along with a lot of the pack for that matter.”
“You were turned?”
“Yes,” she said happily.
“Who turned you?” The thought of being a hellhound excited me. The potential to be something more than I already am, having unlimited strength and the ability to protect myself peaked my curiosity.
“Jay turned me when we started dating. I used to work at a gas station in Pony City. He came in one night and we hit it off instantly,” she sighed and smiled.
“Instantly?”
“I didn’t believe in instant attraction or soul mates until I met Jay. It was like we were meant to be together.”
“Come on. Be serious.” She had to be teasing me.
“No. It’s true. The moment we set eyes on each other, we knew. It was as if we were pulled together. I knew he was the one for me before he spoke a word.”
“Wow. That quick, huh?”
“Haven’t you ever felt pulled to someone on a different level? I’m not saying sexual attraction. It’s more than that. Deeper. It’s a compelling need to be around them, no matter what,” she explained.
Rayce was the only person who came to mind. No matter what he did or didn’t do, I always wanted to be around him. I wanted to talk to him, even if he were in a bad mood or ignoring me. “Maybe one person,” I confessed.
“Why haven’t you acted on it?”
“I’ve tried but nothing works. I don’t think he’s interested in me in that way.”
“Maybe there is something or someone standing in the way,” she said with a grin. My feelings told me she and I were thinking about the same person.
“So, what happened after you met Jay.”
“After a few weeks of dating, he told me what he was and then he showed me. Wow, was I freaked out.”
“I know the feeling.” We both laughed and she continued.
“He changed back and then told me all about this life. He asked me if I wanted to be like him. I said yes. I didn’t have anything to lose and no family to speak of. I figured I could at least have some kind of family,” she explained. “Plus, he was my soulmate.”
My mouth ran dry. I took a drink of my bottled water and took another breath. “How is it done? What does turning someone entail?”
“Oh, well, while we had sex he would bite me.”
“Was it a specific amount of bites or just once?”
“Three bites were all it took. He was really great about it,” she gushed. “It didn’t even hurt. He was really sweet.”
“Interesting.” I felt like I was going to hyperventilate. I had to get my breathing under control.
Marie looked over at me and I felt the truck slow down, “Jessica, are you okay? Do you want me to stop the truck?”
I put my hand up and waved for her to keep driving. Her foot hit the gas and we started down the road again. I looked out of the window. It was black outside and we were on a dirt road. I looked over at her and she kept looking from the road to me and then back to the road.
“No. I’m fine, I was choking on my water. It went down the wrong way.”
She shook her head yes in agreement, “I have done that before.”
All of the sudden the bite mark on my shoulder began to itch terribly and I reached for it. I got myself under control and kept talking to her. “So, what did Jay say after all was said and done?”
She knew what I was talking about. “Hellhounds take mating very seriously. The same thing happens in the animal world all the time. A mated pair will lay claim to each other. I belong to Jay, just like he belongs to me,” she explained.
“What would happen if you were to have sex with someone else?”
“Well, not that it would ever happen, but once a claim is made, and if I were to stray, he would have the right to kill them.”
“That sounds a little possessive. Doesn’t it?”
“It does, but I love Jay with all my heart. He is mine and I am his,” she replied happily. “Plus, he is crazy good in the sack.”
“No. Stop,” I said and she laughed.
“I knew that would get ya.”
“Thanks so much for sharing with me. I feel so lost in this crazy world since I found out. I appreciate you coming with the guys that night by the way.”
“Absolutely. You are one of us in one way or another,” she said with a smile. It was as if nothing could get this woman down. She always had that smile plastered to her mouth. It was a natural glow from deep inside her. I wished I would one day be that happy.
The truck slowed to a crawl. Marie pulled up behind another truck and killed the engine. We had to walk a l
ittle over a mile to our destination.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said and hopped out of the truck. I could see other hellhounds walking down the road ahead of us. This would give us more time to talk before we joined the group.
“The fact that Gage never told me any of this bothered me. That was what Rayce meant by not allowing Gage to bite me again. If he did, I would turn into a hellhound and belong to him forever.
“Hey, do you have a problem with Rayce?”
“No, he’s great and he’s fun. He loves to party and drink. He’s not a heavy drinker, but when he drinks, the fun side of him comes out. Rayce is great, why?”
“Well, sometimes, he treats me like I’m scum and then the next minute, he acts like he wants to be around me. He’s such a jerk to me sometimes.”
She laughed, “Rayce only acts like that if he likes you and the way it sounds, he more than likes you.”
“What do you mean, the way it sounds?”
“Jessica, when Rayce drinks he opens his mouth and a lot falls out. I can’t believe you don’t see it yourself. He wants you, girl. He wants you so much it hurts.”
“What? No, way.”
“Yes, way. He wants to be with you. From what I know, he has wanted you for a long time.”
“Are you saying he has a crush on me?” Heat rushed to my cheeks.
She nodded, “He has a lot more than a crush on you, he wants you but he has no hope. Gage has already claimed you, and he can’t fight with the pack master, even though he’s a real asshole…sorry.”
“I agree, he is an asshole, but I do not belong to him,” I paused for a moment. “He’s not exactly the trophy boyfriend. He’s aggressive, actually.”
“I can see that about him but I have no choice. He is pack master. I can’t go against what he says.”
“Even if you tried?”
“The funny thing about being pack master, you have a mystical power over your pack. Once a hellhound lays claim to his pack, they have to follow without question.”
“You have no choice but to follow?”
“Exactly,” she said shamefully.
“So, if you were told to stay away from someone, would you have to do it?”
“You can always fight it but if they are a true pack master, you will eventually have to follow the rules, or you would be made to.”
“How so?”
“Denying a pack masters orders are an automatic challenge to fight for leadership. You could die.”
Gage knew Rayce liked me. He also more than likely told him to stay away from me. I didn’t even have a choice in the matter. I would never have had the chance to get to know him enough to see for myself. I felt bad because I judged Rayce on his actions but they weren’t his actions at all, it was the leaders’ orders. It was Gage.
If I survived the night, I would make a point to become friends with Mr. Cutie. Not because he likes me, but because I had the right to be friends with him. I’m not part of this pack and I don’t follow Gage’s orders. I was starting to get mad about the information Marie had given me.
We slowly came up to more people and I instantly wanted to find Rayce. If it were safe for him, I wanted to make things right between us. The only problem was, I didn’t want to make problems for him.
“Thanks for the talk, Marie.”
“No problem at all. Anytime,” she said and stopped walking to give me a hug. I wasn’t used to friends but I could grow used to having Marie in my life. I hugged her back. “I’m gonna go find Jay.”
“Go get em, girl,” I grinned and she sprinted away.
CHAPTER
14
The Blackwater Landfill smelled awful. I had to pinch my nose. I couldn’t believe I could still smell it when we were so far away. It’s a good thing it was cold, it would have smelt a lot worse. I couldn’t imagine what it would smell like in the summer. I suddenly had a huge respect for those Waste Management people who pick up my trash. I didn’t find Rayce but I did find Jay and Marie in a passionate embrace.
“What’s wrong, Jessica?”
“It stinks out here,” I complained.
“Well, this was your idea. I bet you wished you were wrong about the location now, huh?” Jay asked.
I was too busy concentrating on the smell to notice that Jay was nude. I turned my head and pinched my eyes closed. I really had to get used to the fact that they would be naked. I risked a glance and I could see they had real love. His smile reached his eyes when he looked at her. It was one of those meant-to-be looks you only see in the movies. I felt like I was imposing on their privacy, plus, seeing my boss in nothing but his skin kind of made me uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have been around at such an intimate time. I walked a few feet away wanting to give them their moment.
The hellhounds who drove to the location hadn’t turned yet. I wondered if I would be the only human hunting tonight. That was a scary thought.
Finally, I spotted Rayce leaning up against a tree smoking a cigarette. His cool James Dean demeanor made me want him even more. I watched as he held his smoke between his fingers, brought it to his lips and took a long pull off it. Even blowing out the smoke makes him sexy. After that, he would lick his lips, glossing them with his tongue. I bit my bottom lip and wondered what else his lips could do.
He was only watching everyone else, patiently waiting for the next move. He looked as if he could have been playing chess, not waiting for a fight to begin. He had a natural sense of authority about him. He was the king of the chess board and everyone else were the pawns, willing to fight for him.
Now he had sparked my interest, I wanted to know him more. I needed to know who he was as a person. I walked over to him in the tree line. He looked over at me, then turned his head and spit on the ground. What was up with the spitting? I stood next to him. He didn’t say anything to me. We stood, watching quietly for a few minutes until I heard Jay whistle. Everyone looked in his direction.
“Is everyone ready to go?” my boss shouted. Everyone started to remove their clothes, even Rayce. He started to take off his shirt. Oh, Lord, how I wanted to stay and watch. I wanted to see his body. I was positive it was rippling with tone muscle. I reluctantly walked away.
I walked up to Jay. He was still naked and I worked hard to keep my eyes on his. “Am I going to be the only one to be in human form?”
“Gage and Marie are going to stay with you. They are not going to change.”
“Where is Gage?”
Jay shrugged his shoulders, turned away from me, and bent down to the ground. I began to search for Gage in the mix of water colors on the ground but I couldn’t find him. Rayce was still standing in the darkness of the trees in only his boxers, watching me. The shadows hid him enough that I could see only his shape and the glow of his eyes. The way he was watching me excited me to no end. I felt like his prey. His eyes were frozen on me as I looked for Gage. I didn’t want to be around him but I have to be with someone in human form.
I walked around, looking for the man who was supposed to escort me into this fight. I spotted him in some trees with his back to me. He looked as if he were looking up at the night sky. It was so cold and I could see his panting breath blowing in the air. He may be a handsome man but he no longer did it for me. I hate everything about being around him for this fight. As I stepped around the tree, I saw something disturbing.
Jade was down on her knees with his dick in her mouth. Bile rose in my throat at the sight of them together. Not because I was jealous but because he was so sick in the mind. Did he actually think we would hook back up and still keep Jade on the side? He turned and finally saw me.
“Fuck, Jess,” he said a little startled and pushed Jade away. His stiff shaft came out of her mouth with a pop as she fell back on her naked ass. I couldn’t help but laugh. Gage tried to grab me by the arm but I pulled away.
“Don’t touch me,” I spat.
“Jessica, wait. Let me explain,” he grabbed m
e again but this time I pulled my gun on him. All he could do was stand and stare at me with his dick hanging in the cold wind. Jade scrambled her nude body on the dirt ground, got to her feet and tried to come after me. My aim changed to her head.
“Bitch, I will kill you and not even think twice about it. Now, step the fuck off.”
Rayce came running up behind me, “Jessica, take it down a notch. What’s going on?”
I turned back around and I could see Jade standing behind Gage with her hand on his arm. They were perfect for each other, two psychos. I released a small snicker and put my gun back in its holster.
“Nothing but a waste of my time,” I replied to Rayce and walked away.
I bumped into Marie, “Hey, girl, I was looking for you. Where have you been? We are ready to go. Jay asked me to stay with you. It won’t be nearly as fun to kill them in human form but it is fun all the same,” she said smiling her signature smile. Then she took in my face. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head and looked at the ground and walked away from her. I knew it was rude to leave her standing there but I had to. I was pissed off but relieved in a way. I walked up to the gate of the landfill and started to climb the gate. I felt a hand wrap around my ankle. I looked back to see Rayce looking up at me with a smile. I hopped down and noticed he had dressed. Damn. “How did you expect everyone else to get in?”
He showed me some bolt cutters. He reached over and cut the lock off and the chain and it fell to the ground.
“Why haven’t you changed?”
He shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. I figured you would like to at least have someone human with you. What if you need someone with hands to help you?”
“Marie and…” I couldn’t say his name. I could only laugh as my anger for Gage flooded me. I couldn’t stand him or that woman Jade. They were meant to be together and if anything, I was happy all this happened. It saved me from a lot of heartache. I chose to use the anger for the hunt tonight. I didn’t have time to clear my mind and focus. “Marie will be with me.”
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