The Hunters Series

by Shiloh Walker

  Now, during the night, Eli would slink in and stare into the person’s eyes, and simply hold their mind sway, pull them under with a vampire’s abilities.

  Somebody would die for this.

  Lori dug her nails into her palms as she stalked into her room, away from the workroom that smelled of the were’s blood, and the poison the silver had infected him with. When silver entered the body, it changed chemically, slowly melting away as it filtered into the were’s bloodstream, setting off an allergic reaction. Since the bullet hadn’t stayed in his body, it wasn’t likely to kill him, but he had lost a hell of a lot of blood waiting for the medics to arrive. The wound wouldn’t close on its own, and the poison was still there. A weaker, younger were, Mike would just have to heal slowly.

  And Erika…where was their baby?

  A snarl twisted her face as she took down a knapsack and filled it with a few supplies, some herbs, and a small vial of water that would have quite a few people laughing at her. No. It wasn’t holy water. It was pure and simple spring water that came from a spring in Ireland, a place that had more earth magick than any she had ever seen.

  Full of potent magick. Something to bind the herbs together when the time came, if she needed them.

  Strapping a long fighting knife to her hip, she flipped her braid back over her shoulder and tossed some energy bars into her bag on her way through the door. And timed it just right. Colliding with Jonathan, she smiled innocently, fluttering her lashes at him.

  “Where do you think you are going?”

  Glancing down at her clothes—the dark sturdy clothes she wore when she occasionally took a patrol with a partner, something Eli required to make sure she stayed in shape and able to fight—she lifted her eyes and cocked her head. “Hmmm, out to a soiree?”

  “No, Lori,” Jonathan said, striding past her and shaking his head. He had woven the long golden brown fall of his hair into a tight cable that nearly reached his firm, excellent ass and Lori hummed under her breath in appreciation.

  “My, my, my…now, Jonathan. You can’t tell me no. Eli doesn’t allow one-man rescue missions. You know that.”

  “My daughter, Lori. My baby they took.” Jonathan’s voice was a deep, rough growl as he leaped the stairs and strode out of the house.

  Lori jogged out after him, tossing the rest of the household an expressive look. She caught him by the truck and snagged him by the arm, whirling him around. When he moved to brush her aside, she simply pressed herself against him, crowding him against the truck. His eyes slid to the low-fitting scoop-neck of her tank before moving his eyes back up to hers. “Move, Lori. They have Erika. I’ve raised her for seven years, I’ve taken care of her. Promised nothing bad would ever happen and I let her down. I have to find her.”

  “How?” she asked simply. “By scent? They took her in a car, in town. You can find her, and will. But I can do it and faster. And if they’ve hurt her, you’ll need me. Jonathan, I’m a Hunter as well, just not as strong as you. And I’m a fighter. You trained me yourself. Take me with you. You need me—Erika needs me. My gut tells me this.”

  “Tell me where she is.”

  Stepping back, her eyes never left his. “I’m going to where she is. Even if I have to go by myself. And if I go alone, I’m likely not to make it out alive. Even though I’ll make damn certain Erika does. I’ll send her home in one piece, but I’ll pull the place down on top of me in the process. You know I can do it.” Her voice rippled with the power and passion of her words, and her throat felt tight as she stared into his dark eyes.

  Because if she didn’t go, he’d die. So she’d get there before him, and make damn sure the one who was sacrificed would be her instead.

  “Damn you,” Jonathan rasped, shaking his head, his eyes gleaming red with his rage. His fangs slid down and, as she watched, his skin made a slight ripple, like water moving on a lake.

  Turning away, he stalked around the truck. “Get in. Fuck.”

  Now he had two females to save, to protect. Because Lori could damn well find Erika. All she needed was to focus on Erika’s face and she could find her anywhere on the planet. And the witch didn’t even need a car to get there.

  The teleporting was an unusual gift, Jonathan had been told. A rare knack among witches, and it only showed up, as most rare witch gifts did, when it was going to be needed the most.

  All she had to do was focus on their face and she could take herself there. Whoever had taken Erika hadn’t been counting on Lori. Too bad Jonathan couldn’t count on Lori being able to stand in a fight—

  “I damn well can stand in a fight, you brainless moron,” Lori interrupted, her voice cold.

  “You’re a Healer. You may be a member of the Hunter’s Council, but that doesn’t make you a true Hunter.” Jonathan jerked, startled as he realized she was fully aware of his thoughts. “Fuck, the mark has affected you, too, hasn’t it?”

  “Jackass. How many vamps do I have to take down in front of you? How many rapists, thugs?” she demanded, ignoring him.

  Jonathan sped into town, following some distant feeling from Lori. If he went the wrong way, she’d tell him. “It touches you just like it touches me, doesn’t it?” he asked gruffly, thinking of the night before when he had thought of her again, as she was dreaming, sweet, hot dreams of him. The dreams had sent him prowling into the night, stalking and then shifting and running, higher and higher into the cliffs until he could howl his frustrations to the sky and she wouldn’t hear.

  “Fuck off.” Her voice was cold and clipped, harsh. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared out the window and ignored him. Totally, completely pissed.

  Sighing, he rubbed one hand down his face. “Lori, you’re a woman, a powerful witch, but you’re not a shifter. You are in incredible shape, more than any human, but you’re not as strong as we are. You can’t run as fast as we can and you can’t hide, you don’t have as powerful a sense of smell, and—”

  “You were smoking in here about three days ago,” she said coldly. “And sometime in the past week, Sheila was driving your truck. I can smell her shampoo. I also, very vaguely, smell Rafe. I bet they are fucking. But not sleeping together. He probably won’t let it happen. He doesn’t want attachments.” Lori smiled sadly. “Poor Sheila. I hope she dumps his vampire ass.”

  Jonathan reminded himself that sitting there with his mouth hanging open didn’t look particularly intelligent. Closing it with a snap, he drew a breath. He had smelled all the scents the moment he opened the truck door and filed them all away, the way he always did.

  No mortal should have been able to smell any of them, not even the bleeding cigarette he had smoked out of desperation a few days ago. It had been one damn cigarette and he’d opened the window for crying out loud, and left it open that night while he slept.

  Sheila’s scent had faded, and Rafe’s scent had been so faint, just barely clinging to her clothes.

  No way in hell Lori should have scented it.

  “You don’t know much about witches, do you, Jonnie?” she asked, sadly, curling up against the door.”And hardly anything at all about me.”

  Suddenly, he felt his chest tighten.

  Lori would leave. He felt it in his gut. Once Erika was home, was safe, and this danger, whatever this new danger was had been eliminated, Lori was leaving Eli’s home.

  “A witch has refined hearing and a refined sense of smell. My eyesight is that of a normal woman’s, but my hearing is almost equal to a vampire’s, though not as good as yours. But my sense of smell, well, it’s damn near close. Most people who know anything about the witches of the Council know that, I thought. You need to turn up here. They’ve gone into Virginia. We need to get on the turnpike,” she said quietly, pressing her brow to the cool glass of the window.

  “I know what I need to know about you,” Jonathan said softly, frowning at the slim line of her back, her lowered head.

  “And what is that? That I can heal your body when you break it? Close up the cuts y
ou get when patrolling? That I can help Erika when she gets a pimple right before picture day?” She laughed, a dry, brittle sound.”You know you like fucking me, and you know your baby, the little girl who calls you Uncle loves my cooking, but you don’t know what kind of movies I like, or what kind of books I read. At my birthday, you bought a gift certificate to the mall, so you wouldn’t have to pick out anything.”

  Because I won’t let myself get close to you…

  “You don’t know me. You don’t want to,” Lori said softly. A long, shuddering sigh racked her body as they climbed higher and higher into the mountains that would lead them out of West Virginia. “And that’s fine. I won’t keep waiting for you to see me, Jonathan. Malachi will help me find a new Master to serve. I’ll have him see me to the Council when this is all said and done.”

  Blind, pulsing fury started to build. Claws ripped through his nail beds and a growl echoed up from his throat.

  Leashing the animal, he continued to drive. Now wasn’t the time to confront this.

  But he would see the ancient bastard dead before he’d let him see Lori to the Council.

  No fucking way.

  No fucking way was she staying.

  She was a Hunter, damn it. So what if I chose to devote my gifts to healing the Hunters rather than working alongside them? I’m more gifted, more suited for that. But I’ve taken my share of killers off the street. I’ve taken down ferals before.

  Damn him.

  She felt a subtle touch on her mind. Over the past week, she had learned to sense him when he was reaching for her through the mark, thinking of her. And she had learned how to block it. Solidly, she blocked it, refusing to let him touch her mind, think of her and possibly interlace his thoughts with hers right now.

  So what if she was acting like a brat?

  Even Healers were entitled to it every now and then.

  Lori was tired of being the sainted one all the time. Tired of being the sweet and quiet one that nobody expected to be upset or pissed or disturbed. Well, she was not upset.

  She was so fucking mad. And hurt.

  She hurt so much, her entire body ached with it.

  Forcing a deep, slow breath into her lungs, she forced herself not to breathe shakily, not to sob. But she couldn’t stop the few tears that trickled out, seeping from beneath her eyelashes in slow, hot trails.

  He had no faith in her.

  She could have lived with that alone. Hell, even Sarel doubted she could stand in a true fight, though Eli insisted she could. Sheila believed she could.

  Lori knew she could.

  But Jonathan wouldn’t ever love her.

  Jonathan had all but closed his heart to everybody. Everybody but Tori and Erika.

  Erika…she pulled the face into her mind and focused. “She’s sleeping, her belly is full and somebody is being kind at least. They wait underground for you.

  “The cave is by a lake in the mountains,” she murmured as her voice trailed off and she pressed her fingers to her brow. “A big, big lake. Stretches out farther than the eye can see.”

  Lifting her head, she met his eyes. “They think the cave will make you nervous, intimidate you. No animal likes to go underground. And they are so certain you will come alone. The bypass into the Blue Ridge Mountains. That’s where you need to go. She’s there, somewhere.”

  Shaking her head, she jerked herself out of that deep reverie and forced her eyes to open, staring at the cars and trees that sped by as they climbed ever further into the mountains. Over, let this be over and soon. She wanted to be alone and away from this.

  Chapter Seven

  “Stop it,” he growled.

  His voice slithered down her spine, wrapped around her body like a caress and she stiffened, shoving out the hot, shaky feelings it inspired in her.

  “Leave me alone.” Her voice was soft, nearly soundless in the quiet of the truck, but she knew he heard her.

  “Don’t, Lori. Your anger, I can handle. Even though you are wrong. You are not the warrior your sister is. You’ve never had to be. You don’t know the warrior magicks. Even Sarel doubts you…I’m sorry. I know it hurts to hear that. But you are a powerful Healer, that is where your talents lie, in the witch healing.

  “It’s your pain that tears at me. You’re hurting, I feel it, I know I caused it…I can’t take it. Stop,” he repeated, his voice softening. Heat, a soft, silken heat started to fill the truck and Lori’s breath caught in her throat.

  Curling into herself, she turned her shoulder away and stared out the window, refusing to even acknowledge him as he whispered softly to her. She was half in a daze, focused totally on herself and soothing her pain. A meditative state that was so complete, Lori didn’t even realize when Jonathan pulled off the road, away from the traffic, as the road started to wind down the mountain. Taking one of the roads for runaway trucks, he followed it to the end, to a small fork that wound back.

  She was still staring blankly—not seeing the green of the trees, not hearing the birds call or smelling the forest—only aware of the gnawing pain in her soul that just grew bigger and bigger every time he turned away.

  Big, warm hands came to rest on her shoulders.”Where is Erika now?”

  Her lids lowered.”Sleeping. Safe. Somebody there is watching over her. Protecting her. Whoever it is, she doesn’t belong there. She wants to make sure Erika makes it home,” Lori whispered roughly. Her lids lifted back to half-mast and she stared into nothingness.

  She had to see this through. See Erika safe. See Jonathan safe.

  Then she could leave and find someplace where she was needed, where it didn’t hurt just to live there.

  “Lori.”

  Her lids lowered again and her head slumped, her body shuddering as she sighed. A gasp tore from her lips as he pressed his hot open mouth to her neck and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him, into his lap. The warm, strong, flat of his hand pressed hard against her belly.

  “Look at me,” he rasped. “I don’t want to see such stillness from you.”

  She pushed and tugged at his hands. “Stop it, Jonathan,” she said softly. “Stop it, now. I won’t do this again, sleep with you and then let you walk away until you feel the need to touch me again. If I can’t have you for always, I don’t want you at all.”

  “Liar,” he said easily, sliding his hand down the center of her chest, her torso, until he could cup her crotch. And when he did, he ground the heel of his hand against her clit until she arched hungrily and lifted herself weakly against his hand.

  “Sex is easy, damn it,” Lori hissed, and whimpered. “I could have slept with anybody. Hell, I could have slept with Malachi and then you would have been nothing more than a memory as he led me away from you forever, with me in his thrall. But I am not—”

  Lori’s words died in her throat as Jonathan pressed his mouth angrily against hers, driving his tongue into her mouth, down her throat, arching his head around and growling when she tried to push him away.

  One hand captured her wrists, while the other cupped one plump firm breast, massaging the nipple, rolling it between his fingers, milking it until it throbbed and ached as he ate at her mouth greedily.

  Lori’s head spun, her pussy growing wetter. One slow, aching throb moved through it as she arched back against him, her eyes fluttering closed as she whimpered deep in her throat.

  Finally, he tore his mouth away from hers, “One thing is saving you now,” he said raggedly, leaning down and whispering gruffly into her ear. “And that’s Erika. If she wasn’t alone and in trouble, I’d throw you down onto your hands and knees, and mount you, fuck you, until you screamed my name and swore you’d never let another man touch you. Sex is easy, yes…” His voice was a rough purr against her flesh as he caressed her throbbing, yearning body with skilled hands. Dipping his fingers between her thighs, he stroked her clit back and forth until she was keening in her throat. Her face flushed as his other hand pinched her nipple roughly, milking th
e hard, pebbled flesh. “What I feel for you is not easy.”

  “Breaking my heart certainly is,” she said raggedly, tearing herself away and hurling her body against the truck door, cowering there, pressing her face against the window as her body trembled.

  Her voice rough and shaky, she said, “Don’t touch me again, Jonathan. I mean it, don’t do it.”

  “I’ll touch you, and stroke that sweet body of yours to a fever pitch and have you begging for more,” he said, reaching for the gearshift and throwing the truck into reverse.

  “Even when I tell you no?”

  “Your body says yes.”

  “My heart begs no.”

  “I’ll make your entire body—your heart and soul—scream for more,” Jonathan swore heatedly, sliding a hand toward her.

  “Then you would rape me. Because my mind will never say yes. My mind knows this is not good for me,” Lori said, wrapping her arms around her knees. “No matter what my body asks for, or begs for, my mind is smarter. And so far, when it comes to you, my heart has led me astray, but if I had listened to my head…” a harsh laugh left her lips. “If I had listened to my head, I would have left Eli and this place a long time ago. And you would have never hurt me this badly.”

  Jonathan slammed on the brakes and Lori went flying forward, only to have a long steely arm shoot forward, bracing her, then whipping her in front of him. His eyes were gleaming red with his fury and his canines had lengthened as he stared at her. “I’d never hurt you like that. Have I ever taken you against your will?”

  “You just threatened to,” Lori said simply, lifting her lashes and staring into his eyes, those bottomless, soft eyes of chocolate silk. “And every time you’ve touched me without really caring for me, without loving me, without wanting me the way I want you, you’ve broken my heart. I don’t want empty sex, Jonathan.”