Dark of Night_Beautiful Monsters_Ashwood Red

by Jex Lane

  He set Kat on her back, the short dress riding up her thigh. As she reached to pull it down, he grabbed her wrist.

  “We have a deal. Unless you plan to renege,” he said, and waited for her answer. No. She didn’t want to renege. Her body’s desires betrayed her. It wanted to feel him. She wanted to feel him.

  “W-where are you going to kiss me?” her voice barely a whisper.

  He released her wrist and ran his clawed fingers across the satin skin of her legs until he got to her knees. Slowly, he parted them. She did nothing to stop him.

  “Beautiful,” he said and leaned in. His arms snaked under her thighs, and he grabbed her hips. “I need to taste you.”

  Kat let out a breathless gasp when his nose nuzzled against her crotch, pushing her underwear to the side. She let her head fall against the table.

  His tongue swiped over her soft folds before he closed his mouth around her clit. He lapped and sucked with deliberate, unhurried movements. Oh god. Why had she been so resistant to the idea of having someone do this to her? Her chest heaved as her breath shortened.

  “Darius.” She gasped his name as he continued to work her. Kat tilted her hips up. Wanting—needing—more.

  “So wet for me,” he muttered against her skin. “I want you to come.”

  His hands clamped harder on her hips, and a pulse of pleasure raced through her body. Lust and desire, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Her eyes rolled back and moans escaped her. Her world became a single point between her legs with Darius’ mouth on it.

  Another feverish pulse raced through her, and her climax neared.

  His lips worked her faster, his tongue flicking over bundles of nerves with expert precision.

  She shattered. Her back arched, and her legs seized around his head, not letting him go. Her sounds of pleasure no doubt echoed through the entire city, and she didn’t care.

  Every part of her burned.

  Darius worked her through the entire orgasm, slowing as she slowed.

  Her body slumped, her knees hooked over his shoulders.

  He gently moved them off and stood.

  Kat’s eyes drifted to his crotch. The bulge there was obscene. She couldn’t help but think of what he’d feel like thrusting into her. Her desire for him grew once again. “That was more than a kiss.”

  He licked his lips, and his shoulders heaved as he took deep breaths. Horns and claws aside, he looked a lot less like Darius and a lot more like a monster.

  Kat pushed herself up. “What’s going on?”

  He growled at her. It sounded feral.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Commander Ga-hui,” he said, his voice strained. Raw.

  The hunter teleported in beside them.

  Kat scrambled off the table, flushing with embarrassment. She hadn’t seen the hunters following behind them, so she assumed they stayed in New York.

  “What the hell?” she asked.

  “Take her back,” Darius said to Ga-hui with a snarl.

  “Come with me,” she said to Kat.

  Kat ignored her and faced Darius. “You got what you wanted—you got to feed off me—and you’re done with me now? We had a deal.”

  “Cadet, follow the order,” the commander said.

  Kat snatched her purse, furious. “Fine.”

  She followed the hunter out of King’s Borough.

  * * *

  Arriving back at her empty room, she slammed the door closed. She peeled out of the dress and shoes and headed into the shower to try to cool down.

  It didn’t really work. After trying to tame her hair and tossing on jeans and a t-shirt, she flopped on her bed.

  The longer she lay there the more pissed she got.

  She shouldn’t have tried to make that silly deal. Shouldn’t have let him touch her, let alone spread her legs.

  A soft knock at the door drew her attention. She ignored it. It repeated.

  She stormed to the door. “Unless you’re here to apologize—”

  Javi scrunched his face up. “I take it the date went bad?”

  “I hate incubi.” She left the door open and went back to the bed, collapsing on it with overly exaggerated movements. “And how did you know about the date?”

  “Word travels fast here.” Javi entered, closing the door behind him, and sat at the foot of the bed. “Some incubi are pricks. I’m surprised Darius is one of them, I’ve always heard good things about the man.”

  “You heard wrong.”

  “Guess so. You going to pout in here all night?”

  “I’m not pouting.”

  Javi raised an eyebrow.

  “Okay. Fine. I’m pouting. And yes, I’ll be in here all night. I have to read those dumb training manuals or Chase will be all over my ass.”

  “Those can wait. Come to the thing tonight.”

  Kat sat up. “The thing? How come no one knows what is going on?”

  Javi shrugged. “The High Lord General has kept a lid on this one. We’re all guessing it’s some sort of showcase fight. Maybe he’s bringing in some witches. You ever seen witches go at it?”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t even know witches were a thing before this week.”

  “It’s pretty…magical.” He waited for her to laugh. She didn’t. “Eh? Magical. Come on.”

  “Lame.”

  “Hilarious.” Javi stood. “Okay, fine, I’ll stop being lame if you come hang with your team.”

  Your team.

  Kat liked the sound of that, but she’d learned long ago not to get too attached. People were fragile. They died too easily.

  “Am I going to get shit if I want to stay in tonight?” She really didn’t feel like being around anyone right now. She wanted to brood.

  Javi stood. “Naw, not from me. We all have those nights. Give me a call if you change your mind, ‘kay?”

  “I will.”

  He left, and Kat thumbed through the books. She read two chapters on the best practices for dealing with a jubokko—a tree that drank blood, most commonly found in Japan—before the words began to blur together. Tossing it aside, she dug through the borrowed purse and retrieved the stake, running her finger over the smooth wood. She hadn’t noticed the handle had detailing of leaves and wildflowers before. It was almost too beautiful for a weapon.

  She decided not to throw it away, even if it came from Darius. Maybe he’d let her pay him back for it, although she doubted he’d accept. Plus, it’d mean talking to him again, and she had no intention of doing so.

  Frustrated, she threw on a thick jacket and gloves, slipped the stake into the pocket, and left for a walk. She made her way towards the forest, away from Ashwood. More stars than she’d ever seen before hung in the night sky above her.

  Distant cheers rose from the arena.

  Whatever was going on sounded fun, but she wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone else tonight. The past week had been overwhelming. Her entire life had been turned on its head.

  She made her way through the forest, careful to stick to paths that hunters used while training. When the cheers faded and the lights of Ashwood no longer reached her, she leaned against a tree, closing her eyes and letting the stillness wash over her.

  “Cadet.”

  Kat jumped and palmed her stake. A hunter stood a few feet from her. He raised his hands in surrender. She relaxed when she recognized him. He had been one of Darius’ bodyguards the night she came to the academy. “Didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Walla, Ashwood Yellow. I never got the chance to introduce myself.” He held out his hand.

  She pocketed the stake and shook his hand, thankful he didn’t mention anything about Darius. “Kat. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I didn’t expect anyone out here. Everyone’s in the arena.”

  “Why’re you out here then?”

  He frowned. “My team pulled patrol duty tonight. I think I accidentally pissed off whoever is in charge of rotations.” He raised his comm to his mouth. “Dispat
ch, west side is clear.” He pushed a button on the comm and motioned to the forest behind him. “I have to get back to it. Don’t wander too much farther from here or dispatch will come down on me for not reporting you.”

  “I won’t. And thanks.”

  Walla tossed her a playful salute and went back to patrolling.

  Maybe being here wouldn’t be so bad. Her team seemed okay. Maybe a few were a little eccentric but nothing she couldn’t handle. And maybe once she killed Mont, she could find someone here to have an actual relationship with. No doubt plenty of other hunters had a story like hers.

  A short, gargling cry broke her thoughts.

  She pulled the stake from her pocket.

  Silence.

  The shadows cast by the barren trees seemed to grow longer and more menacing as her heart sped.

  A soft crushing of leaves caused Kat to whip hard to her left and take a step back.

  “Walla?” she whispered.

  Nothing.

  No, wait. Not nothing.

  Something was out there.

  Kat blinked.

  And when she opened her eyes, a woman stood before her.

  Raven black hair. Irises as red as her bloody lips. Skin so fair it seemed to glow in the moonlight. The woman, wearing a black corset dress, stood frozen like a statue.

  Kat gasped.

  The vampire—Kat had no doubt that’s what she was—raised her index finger. Shhhhhhh. You’ll wake the dead.

  The words weren’t spoken out loud, rather they echoed in Kat’s head. The vampire flicked her red eyes to the ground, and Kat followed the glance. She wished she hadn’t.

  A body lay in the dirt. Walla. His head twisted backwards, his face shredded.

  “No!” Kat lunged stake first at the monster.

  The vampire grabbed Kat’s wrist and squeezed. The stake fell to the ground.

  A baby hunter. Adorable.

  Kat struggled, trying to break free from the iron grip. The vampire released her, and Kat dove for the stake, only to find it kicked away. Kat went for it again and the vampire—moving incredibly fast—kicked it out of Kat’s reach once more.

  Knowing she had no hope of getting the stake or defeating the vampire unarmed, Kat stood and hardened her face. She would not be toyed with. If she were going to be killed anyway, she wouldn’t play its game.

  A wide smile crossed the vampire’s face, showing off a set of terrifying fangs. The vampire grabbed Kat’s chin, forcing her to look into red eyes.

  Everything went black for a moment.

  Bolts came flying in their direction, hitting the vampire.

  She hissed and released Kat. Two Ashwood Yellow members let loose another flurry of bolts. The woman moved so fast, Kat had trouble tracking her. She dodged the projectiles then broke the arm of one hunter and, with her terrifying black tipped claws, ripped the neck out of the other.

  The hunter with the broken arm screamed, watching his teammate die. Kat might have been screaming also, she wasn’t sure.

  She scrambled for her stake, but the vampire’s Victorian-style boot stepped on it, snapping it in two.

  Green flashes filled the area as other hunters teleported in.

  “Dispatch, Ascelina is on the grounds,” one of them frantically reported, followed by shouts directing the hunters how to attack.

  Grey bat-like wings unfolded out of Ascelina’s back. She grabbed Walla’s mangled body and jumped into the air, taking off into the sky.

  Kat grabbed her broken stake and ran after the flying vampire. Ear-splitting alarms began to sound.

  Someone grabbed her shoulder.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing, cadet?” a hunter she didn’t know asked.

  Good question. Kat had no hope of taking down a vampire like that. A lord. Not without magic to help her.

  In the distance, Ascelina flew to the covered training arena. She punched a hole in the roof and tossed Walla’s body inside. She hovered for a moment, then dodged a bolt and flew off. A moment later, large flying creatures—warrior incubi—chased her across the sky.

  “Return to the dorms,” the hunter ordered. She didn’t fight him on it.

  When she entered Lincoln Hall, the alarms finally shut off.

  She wanted nothing more than to crash. Adrenaline drops always left her exhausted. Coupled with everything else that had happened today…

  Except those plans went out the window when she entered her room and found the other five members of Ashwood Red standing there, looking extremely pissed at her.

  13

  Kat

  Kat stood in the doorway. Waiting.

  “Where the fuck were you?” Chase asked.

  Really? He was cussing now? Kat nearly said something about it, but snarky remarks wouldn’t earn her any brownie points. And she needed the brownie points. Still…

  She pulled out half of the stake from her pocket and waved it a little. “I was fighting a vampire lord named Ascelina. How was the event tonight?”

  The team exchanged glances. Chase shook his head. “If you had faced her, you’d be dead.”

  “Fine, you’re right. It wasn’t much of a fight. She mostly toyed with me. And killed a lot of Ashwood Yellow.”

  Poor Walla. She wasn’t looking forward to the nightmares she’d no doubt have, playing through his death over and over, wondering if she could have done something—anything—else to save him or his team mates.

  Another moment of silence passed as the team weighed her words.

  “She wears no contacts,” Brick said softly.

  Javi said something in Spanish to Dawn.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m on it,” Dawn answered as she crossed the room and put her hand on Kat’s forearm and closed her eyes.

  Dawn’s touch grew uncomfortably hot, and Kat fought the urge to pull away. “What’s she doing?”

  “Quiet, let her work,” Chase said.

  Dawn removed her hand. “No, no compulsion.”

  The tension in the room drained a little.

  “What was that about?” Kat asked.

  “Vamps can compel humans…” Javi started. Kat knew that. That’s how her monster-dad had forced her to invite him in. “It usually only lasts a few moments. With a vampire lord as old as Ascelina, she could plant something in your brain to trigger later, or enthrall you permanently.”

  Dawn pushed down the strap of her dress, pointing to a tattoo on her shoulder. “I have an affinity with this rune. Lets me tell if someone’s been compelled.”

  Necrus plopped on Kat’s bed. “It’s super rare. Only like one out of a thousand hunters can use it. You should have come tonight. The Lord General has a new vampire slave—”

  Chase shot Necrus a now’s-not-the-time glance then returned his gaze to Kat. His dark eyes and scarred face made him look anything but friendly. “When alarms sound, the protocol is to locate teammates. You told Javi you were staying in your room. From now on, until I say so, none of you are allowed to leave campus without another teammate with you.”

  That earned him a few groans. When Kat opened her mouth to protest, he held up his hand to silence both her and the team. “I don’t want to hear any complaining. We’re soldiers, and since some of you have forgotten that, I’ll be happy to remind you all day tomorrow starting at five a.m.”

  There were no groans that time, but no one looked happy. They wouldn’t be getting much sleep before they had to get up to train.

  “I’ll take her to get her physical tomorrow. Dawn, teach her about the contacts.” Chase didn’t wait on any acknowledgements as he brushed by Kat and left.

  “Contacts?” Kat asked.

  Dawn pointed to her eyes. “We all have them in, prevents compulsions. You’ll have to wear them every time you leave.”

  “Man,” Necrus said to no one in particular. “He’s going to make us do boot camp again, isn’t he?”

  “It won’t be so bad,” Javi said. “We all have our runes this time.”

  Brick no
dded in agreement.

  Kat frowned. “Except me.”

  “Don’t worry, chica, you’ll get them soon.”

  Not soon enough.

  Brick tapped Necrus’ shoulder to let him know it was time to go.

  The three men filed out. Javi left with a, “See you ladies in a few hours.”

  When the door closed, Dawn and Kat went about getting ready for bed.

  “So…? How’d the date go?” Dawn asked while Kat brushed her teeth.

  Kat looked at Dawn’s reflection in the mirror. “Great until the end when he became a raging dick hole.”

  “Oh. Shame.” Dawn didn’t press for any more details, perhaps sensing Kat wasn’t in the mood to talk. It wasn’t until the lights were out and they both were lying down when Dawn spoke again. “Not many hunters survive a run in with Ascelina. You got really, really lucky tonight.”

  Kat didn’t feel lucky.

  * * *

  Training sucked. Running and pushups and exhaustion.

  Chase led the team for a few hours in the morning, then an instructor—a veteran hunter—stepped in to take over. From Necrus’ loud complaining, Kat found out that instructors usually only led year threes and fours a few nights a week for special exercises or courses. Otherwise, older cadet teams worked normal hunter rotations, usually guard duty, but sometimes they got to go on low priority missions.

  Except now with Kat on Ashwood Red, veteran hunters and incubi warriors were slated to give them extra training. Something other members didn’t seem too happy about. Not that any of them voiced it. Except Necrus. The thin guy had no filter.

  After hours of drills, the team piled into the mess hall for lunch. Kat hadn’t expected the food to be any good, but it wasn’t half-bad. Javi snuck her a cookie, and since no one else had cookies, she wondered how he had acquired it.

  Halfway through shoving the illicit cookie into her mouth, Commander Cullip teleported into the mess. Every hunter in the place stood and saluted. Kat followed their lead. Chase had gone over how to salute with her, pressing her right hand to her left shoulder and bowing slightly, with the depth of the bow depending on the rank of the hunter or incubus, but this was the first time she’d done it outside of training.