The Hunters Series

by Shiloh Walker

  Drew circled around from the back, making sure any nosy managers peeking out from the office wouldn’t be able to see him. He’d noted the general location Dakota had looked and it had to be one of two buildings. Her car had been parked closer to this one, too. So he figured this was the best option. But he was wrong. The curtains were partially open. If anybody was using either of these rooms, they were an obsessive neat freak. The same could be said for the next unit. But the one next to it…the curtains were drawn tight. Not even a sliver of the room could be seen.

  His gut was a cold, hard stone. He stood there, staring at the door. Images flashed through his mind. Nicole twisting on a bed. Crying out. Begging for help.

  Swearing, he lifted his hands to his face. Yeah, he’d relied on his instincts a lot in life. Listened to his gut—sometimes he had hunches that had played out in ways that had been almost spooky. So what if this felt almost like one of those things? He couldn’t—

  Swearing, he stepped back just a pace. Enough with this shit. Blocking everything else out, he kicked the door in. As it went crashing back, he braced himself. If he was wrong—

  The sight of the blonde laying in the bed almost sent him to his knees.

  “Nicole!”

  But she didn’t move.

  When he ran to her side, tearing back the covers, she barely stirred. As a matter of fact, she barely seemed to be breathing.

  Dakota slowed and pulled into the parking lot of the town’s sole bar. It wasn’t even a block from the hotel, if you cut across the back lots. But since she planned on picking somebody up, using him for a pint or two of blood and then taking him to wherever he lived…well, she’d rather not be seen so much. Climbing out of the car, she sighed and stood there, studying the toes of her black leather boots, wishing she knew why she was so edgy.

  Wishing—

  There was a breaking sound. She tensed and slowly lifted her head. The bottom of her gut dropped away. Vampires had pretty spectacular hearing.

  “Nicole!”

  That voice…she knew that voice.

  Swearing, she took off running toward the hotel. Screw the car. Screw catching attention. He couldn’t be near Nicole now. And damn it, how had he found them?

  Chapter Five

  Her skin was too cool. She wasn’t waking up, either. Lifting one eyelid, Drew peered into Nicole’s blue eyes, studying her pupils. No reaction—fuck, was she drugged? Sick? What—

  “Get back, Drew.”

  Hearing that familiar, low voice, he looked up.

  Dakota stood in the doorway, her eyes locked on his face—for a second, they almost looked like they were glowing—

  Shit.

  “I think you need to get back,” he told her as his heart split in two. She’d done this. Damn it. She’d somehow hurt Nicole. How could he have misjudged her—?

  She came into the room, frowning at the door for a moment and then shifting her dark eyes his way. “Drew…get away from her. It isn’t safe.”

  Drawing his weapon, he leveled it at her. She didn’t even blink—damn it, she could stare at him over the barrel of a gun and not blink. Who in the hell was this woman? “You kidnapped a lawyer, Dakota. You’ve done something to her. You got any idea how much trouble you’re in?”

  “I didn’t kidnap her.” She lowered her head, pressing a hand to her temple. When she looked back at him—

  Drew stumbled back. Her eyes—shit—they were glowing. “Get back, Drew. Now.”

  His legs started to move. He was halfway across the floor before he could make himself stop. Shit. Not right. This was so fucking not right. Spinning away from Dakota, he stared at Nicole. “I’m taking her out of here and getting her to a hospital.”

  I need to call the cops. That was what he needed to do. But his gut told him Dakota wasn’t going to let that happen. His gut also told him, though, that she wouldn’t hurt him. Maybe she’d hurt Nicole and God knows who else, but not him. Yet. He’d use that to get Nicole safe, and then he’d make her pay—

  Returning to Nicole’s side, he bent down to lift her, still holding his gun. He had no chance, though. A hand closed around his arm. Small and feminine…it shouldn’t have been so strong. “No.” Dakota shoved him back. Damn it—

  He fell into the wall, hitting it with enough force that it left his head ringing. Swearing, he shoved off it, wobbling for a step before he steadied. “Dakota—” He lifted the Glock he held and that crack in his heart widened, ripping his heart in two. “Don’t make me use this.”

  Her lids flickered. “If that’s what I have to do to keep you safe, I will, baby. Please…just leave while you can…”

  A strange, whimpering moan rolled through the air.

  “Not yet, damn it. It’s not sunset…” Dakota swore, her gaze shooting to the bed. Then her gaze cut to him. “You. It’s you. Damn it, get out.”

  If he’d been looking at Dakota, he might have seen the fear in her eyes.

  But he was staring at Nicole. Watching her chest started to rise and fall…watching as her eyes opened, revealing glowing eyes of blue. Watching as her mouth opened on a broken moan. Revealing fangs.

  “Nic…?”

  She turned her head toward him.

  He never even saw her move.

  Dakota caught her just before Nicole reached Drew. Fast brat. Wrapping her arms around the baby vamp, she pinned the smaller woman. “No, Nicole—you can’t. Not now.”

  “Hurts…” Nicole moaned low in her throat. She snapped at the empty air, like it might ease that burning ache.

  “I know…shhhh…I know.” Dakota stared at Drew’s stunned, pale face. I couldn’t have fucked this up more if I tried.

  “Dakota, please.” Nicole, begging and pleading, shuddered in Dakota’s arms.

  “Here.” Dakota lifted her wrist. “It’s not going to help for long, but it’s better than nothing. It will hold you for a few hours.” Long enough for us to get out of here, at least.

  And as Nicole sank her newly formed teeth into Dakota’s wrist, Dakota stared at Drew, wondering if he’d bolt. He couldn’t leave knowing what he knew—and she wasn’t strong enough to wipe his mind. She’d tried and failed.

  What now…?

  “What’s going on?” Drew asked, his voice tight and rusty as he stared at Nicole, bent over Dakota’s wrist.

  “What, haven’t you read Twilight, seen True Blood?” Dakota forced a smile, even though her heart was breaking. She didn’t know what to do.

  Nicole, first. Make sure she wasn’t going to attack him. Then she’d figured out the next step.

  Although she had an idea. She couldn’t wipe his mind, but there had to be somebody who could. He’d thought she’d kidnapped a lawyer—well, she hadn’t. She suspected she might be getting ready to kidnap a cop.

  “I can’t believe you put him in the trunk.”

  It was hours later, nearing dawn and she’d heard this ten times already. Sighing, she shot Nicole a look as she hit her blinker. “Babydoll, I didn’t have a choice. He saw us. He knows too much for me to just let him go merrily off. I wasn’t able to wipe his mind, either.”

  “But you put him in the trunk,” Nicole repeated. “He’s a cop and you kidnapped him and he’s my boyfriend and…”

  Dakota sighed. “Nicole. I didn’t have a choice. Unless I decided to stick you in the trunk, because you can’t be that close to him yet. Even though you fed, you don’t need to be around him.” She made herself smile as she glanced over. “Besides, you’ve been through enough. You don’t need to ride in the trunk.”

  “And he does? Damn it, he’s got to be so worried. You should have let me talk to him.”

  “I will.”

  “You will?” Nicole stared at her. “When?”

  “Soon.” She took the turn. “The school is ten minutes away. There will be somebody there who’ll know how to fix this.”

  She hoped.

  She’d knocked him out.

  Taken his phone.

  Restraine
d him.

  Oh…and let’s not forget…Dakota was a fucking vampire. At least he was pretty sure she was, even though he hadn’t seen her fangs.

  When she opened the trunk and his eyes adjusted, the only thing he could think was…I should have known. I just should have known—not about this insane shit, but that she hadn’t hurt Nicole. He still didn’t know what in the hell was going on, but…

  “Come on,” she said quietly once he was out of the trunk. “I’ll get you out of those cuffs. We’ll talk. Figure out…something.”

  Figure out something…?

  As she pulled the gag out of his mouth, he narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “Drew, baby…” She shook her head and rested a hand on his cheek. “You really should have just left. Screw that. You should have just stayed away.”

  Yeah. He was figuring that out fast.

  His skin crawled as he looked around. Everywhere, he saw people looking at them. And almost all of them moved with that odd, easy grace that Dakota had. Dakota…or Bo. Similar, but not the same.

  Fuck, just how much trouble was he in?

  “Calm down, sugar. Nobody will hurt you here.”

  He glanced at her. “Yeah? Somehow I’m not reassured.”

  A sad smile curled her lips. “I guess not.”

  “I tried.”

  Dakota flinched as Malachi came into the other room and sank into a chair. He pinned her with a dark blue stared and she immediately looked down. He freaked her out in the worst way. “Tried?” she asked.

  “Yes. I tried. He has a natural resistance, so it’s not just you. I can do it, but it would damage his mind.”

  “No—” She jerked her gaze up, staring at him. Looking past him, she stared through the one-way mirror to where Drew had been placed. Like a prisoner, she realized. “You can’t.”

  He was in there with Nicole now, talking to her, but they weren’t alone. Kelsey, the witch who ran Excelsior was in there, along with Shawn Lenning, one of the vamp instructors who stayed at Excelsior. The two of them could control her if the hunger returned. Shaking her head, she looked back at Malachi. “You can’t. He didn’t mess up—I did.”

  “Dakota…” Malachi gave her a gentle smile. “Screw-ups happen. Something about his mind feels…well, strange. I think he’s probably got a bit of psychic skill and that’s why he’s resisting so easily. Your biggest fuck-up was in not calling for help when things went to shit.”

  Rising, he turned to the window. “I’ve enough on my hands now—dealing with a stubborn mortal cop and breaking his mind isn’t high on my list. But we can’t let him leave here if he’s going to talk.” Over his shoulder, he looked at her. “You know that.”

  As he slipped out of the room, she swallowed.

  “So…”

  Nicole tucked her chin against her chest, staring at the table like it held something fascinating.

  “So.” Drew, on the other hand, was staring at her bowed head. This was surreal. He was sitting in a room with a woman he’d been dating…and she was a vampire. In another room, just down the hall, the woman he was in love with? Another vampire. Surreal.

  “That’s Dakota.”

  Now it was his turn to study the table. Yeah. Pretty damn fascinating. “Shit, Nic.”

  She laughed softly. “Hey, Drew. Stop looking like you kicked my puppy…or me.”

  Shooting her a glance, he pushed back from the table and started to pace. “I wasn’t very fair to you,” he said softly.

  “Stop.” Nic sighed, slipping him a sidelong glance. “You weren’t unfair. I knew you were seeing somebody. I knew you cared about her. I also knew you liked me…I just kept hoping in the end, I could make you like me more.”

  She snorted. “Now if I’d met Dakota earlier? Seen how you look at her?” She shook her head. “You and me, we might have had a chance, if you hadn’t met her. But as it is? Nah. We’re friends. Hopefully we can stay that way.”

  He had his own misgivings about that but he wasn’t going to say anything. “You think you’re going to be okay?”

  “Yeah.” A smile curled her lips. “It’s going to take some adjusting, but I’ll be fine. What about you?”

  That was something he couldn’t answer.

  Chapter Six

  The way they kept looking at him was driving him nuts.

  The big guy, his bald head as smooth as polished quartz, shot him a narrow look before focusing back on Dakota. She had her back to him and her shoulders were slumped.

  If he tried hard enough, he could hear them.

  He didn’t want to, though. He didn’t want to think about the insane shit going on. Nicole seemed okay and that was the main thing, now that he knew Dakota hadn’t hurt her. He didn’t want to…

  “—fuck up, you fix it. How you think you can fix this, kiddo?”

  Dakota groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “I don’t know, Shawn. I just don’t know.”

  “Well. You need to think fast or you’ll be the one paying for it. This is serious, D.C. People will die if word of us gets out—what were you thinking—?”

  Closing his eyes, Drew turned away and started to pace. Damn it, he didn’t know what to do. Nobody seemed to want to hurt him—not even that big, red-haired bastard who’d come in on them earlier. Although something had hurt—he’d felt something in his head, like somebody was pushing on it.

  But nobody had done anything to him—nobody had even looked at his neck. Well, except Nicole.

  Still, he didn’t see them letting him leave here, knowing what he knew. He could try telling them he wouldn’t say anything. And he wouldn’t—it would be a danger to both Dakota and Nicole. He couldn’t risk that. But nobody here was likely to believe him and why should they?

  Damn it, he was fucked.

  And worse…so was Dakota.

  You’ll be the one paying for it.

  What had that meant?

  Was she in trouble now?

  Blood roared in his ears. And as he stared at the floor…once more images begin to flicker through his mind, rolling like a silent filmstrip, completely and utterly fascinating.

  Nicole had told him what she’d gone through—somebody had attacked her. Dakota had found her, but she’d lost too much blood. The only way to save her had been by making her a vampire. It hadn’t been fun, either. Bad fevers, like she’d been sick. Seizures. Dakota had been forced to restrain her. Like what he’d been seeing in his head. It was insane…so screwed up. But all of this was insane. All of it. Maybe this was what he needed to do. How things were supposed to happen.

  They had taken his service revolver, his phone. But there was one other thing. Feeling oddly disconnected, he reached into his back pocket. The knife wasn’t good for much of anything except cutting open boxes and the like—he used it as a letter open more often than anything else.

  He figured it would open a vein, too. If it saved Dakota…

  The smell of blood was something any vampire would recognize. Spinning around, Dakota stared at Drew’s back. He was still standing, but he wouldn’t for long—not considering the amount of blood—

  “Drew!”

  She lunged for him.

  “Mother fuck…” Shawn whispered behind her. He was faster than she was, and he reached Drew just as the other man started to sway.

  They were on the floor now, kneeling amidst his blood. As Shawn gripped Drew’s wrists, easily cutting off the flow of blood, she cupped Drew’s face. Okay…he would be okay. He was pale, but that was okay. He hadn’t lost that much…

  “Damn it, Drew, I told you that nobody would hurt you.” She stared at him, her heart tripping a bit in her chest. “What are you trying to do?”

  “Save you…” He grimaced and tried to pull away from Shawn. Dark lashes fluttered over his eyes. “They can’t hurt you for telling me if I’m one of you, right?”

  “Saving me—?” She could smack him. Kiss him. Shake him. “Damn it, Drew. I don’t need saving.
Nobody was going to hurt me.”

  “They…” Confusion fogged his eyes. Or maybe that was blood loss. “But he said you’d have to pay…”

  Shawn frowned. “He’s got good ears for a mortal.”

  Dakota ignored him, swallowing. “It’ll be okay. You didn’t have to hurt yourself just to keep me out of trouble.”

  He closed his eyes. “And what if I kind of wanted to be with you, too?”

  As her heart did another one of those funny stutters, footsteps sounded outside in the hall. “Healer’s here, kiddo,” Shawn murmured.

  “Be with me?” She shook her head. “But you dumped me. Damn it, no. We’re not talking about this. We’ll get you healed and then…”

  “No. Because if I’m healed, I can’t be with you…” He opened his eyes and stared at her. “Can I? Not for real. Not for good. That’s why, Dakota. I needed more and this is my only chance for it, isn’t it?”

  He shot the vampire holding his wrists a look. “Let me go.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Dakota snarled. “I mean it, Shawn.”

  The black man grimaced at her. “Dakota…ah, well. It’s kind of his choice…”

  Shawn let go.

  He slept.

  For now.

  Dakota sat at his bedside, feeling old. She’d slept until an hour before sunset, her body forcing it on her, even though she’d wanted to stay at his side. She was there now and she wouldn’t leave until he opened his eyes, and fed…so she wouldn’t feel so bad when she beat him.

  Damn it, she wasn’t ever going to forget what he’d done. She didn’t fully understand it, either. She realized he had some disturbed, twisted sense that he’d been helping her, and while it made some part of her heart warm a bit, she still wanted to beat him.

  “What were you thinking?” He’d slit his wrists. Damn it. He’d slit his damn wrists.