4-Ever Hunted: Vampires Rule

by Blake, Kasi

  Dani blushed. She lowered her face until he couldn’t see her eyes, but he caught the slight curving of her lips. He was winning her over.

  Exposing his emotions wasn’t easy for him. Because of the way Ian Carver had raised him and the lessons the man taught him, he’d rather chew broken glass than admit to having certain feelings. With the exception of their final goodbye, Ian hadn’t shown emotion besides anger. “They are a weakness,” his father often said. “Other people can let their emotions control them. Hunters don’t have the luxury.”

  For years Trick had lived his life according to his father’s rules.

  Then something had occurred to him. If his father was wrong about vampires all being evil, maybe he was wrong about other things too. Maybe they were strength and not weakness.

  Trick took a deep breath, balled up his fists, and asked the question weighing on his mind. “Will you go on a date with me?”

  Dani’s head snapped up. Eyes wide, she stared at him as if he’d suggested she go to school in a muddy dress, something Dani wouldn’t do to save her own life. “I...uh...what?”

  “I like you. You like me. We should go out.” Because he hated being vulnerable more than he hated vampires, he reverted to his arrogant self. Wearing the same grin he used on every other pretty girl, he added, “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”

  “Maybe I have, but that doesn’t mean we should do it.”

  “Why not?” He folded his arms and stood his ground. “I know you want to. Come on. Be bad for once.”

  “What would be the point? I’m leaving for college after graduation. I have a ten-year plan. Remember? No one is going to mess with that, not even a cute boy with a wicked slam dunk.”

  He grinned. “You think I’m cute.”

  A sudden scowl marred her beauty. “How did you know about the silly theme song thing if you didn’t read my diary?”

  Trick rubbed the back of his neck and considered lying. But what could he possibly say to convince her he hadn’t done the deed? He cleared his throat. “Well, to tell you the truth, I sort of heard what you were thinking.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You can read minds?”

  “No.” He shook his head vehemently. “It only happened the once. That’s it. Well, twice. I heard Matt’s thoughts too.”

  He wasn’t going to explain the process to her. She probably already thought he was a huge freak. The last thing she needed to know was that he had visited her memory, that he felt what she felt and knew what she’d been thinking. Not only would she think he was a freak, she might be afraid to be near him.

  He held his hands up and reassured her. “One time. I only heard the thing about the theme song. I swear.”

  Pink-stained cheeks added a glow to her face. “It wasn’t... I heard that song, and it reminded me of you. Happened years ago when I was a kid. I don’t waste my time thinking about you anymore. Seriously, I have loads of things on my mind.”

  The more she talked, the brighter the pink in her cheeks got.

  Trick’s hands went to her shoulders, and he kissed her before he could stop himself.

  Her arms encircled his neck.

  Relief flooded his system when he realized she was kissing him back. Theirs was a relationship that didn’t need words. They communicated so much better without talking.

  Dani gently pushed him away. “I need to go.”

  He opened his mouth to ask about the date.

  She added, “I’ll think about it.”

  Now who was the mind reader?

  Watching her return to her house, he considered their future. Dating her might be a stupid idea. If it didn’t work out, she was next door. Avoiding her would be difficult. But even if it was the wrong thing to do, he would be leaving town as soon as he hit eighteen.

  He turned to go inside, grin still on his face. He stopped abruptly as his eyes caught sight of something out of place. His brain took a second to catch up. He looked down the grassy path between his house and Dani’s and found the problem near the edge of their connecting properties. Then he understood why his internal temperature had cooled, leaving him feeling slightly chilled.

  Summer stood on the sidewalk with a tight expression that bordered on white-hot fury. Jaw tight and mouth compressed into a thin line, she looked homicidal. Before he could ask why, she teleported. One second she was there, and then she was gone.

  He shuddered.

  Not good. Not good at all.

  ♫

  After his kiss with Dani and the spotting of an angry Summer, Trick burned with the need to hunt. It had been too long since he’d killed a vampire. He knew Scarlet would go with him, but he didn’t think he could deal with her brand of humor. Not tonight.

  So he went alone.

  It seemed silly to hunt for new vampires when he knew where two of them lived. The itch to kill Summer intensified with every passing day. She was messing with his brother’s head, and now he feared she might start stalking Dani because he’d kissed her. Summer wasn’t the poster girl for mental stability.

  Maybe she should be in therapy with Baxter instead of him.

  Then there was her crazy vampire buddy.

  Cowboy pushed and taunted and provoked to get what he wanted most: Trick’s consent to become like them.

  It wasn’t going to happen, not in a million years. Trick didn’t care what the vampires said or how they behaved around him. They were soulless monsters. Part of him still believed his father on that.

  He considered going straight to the mansion and killing the two manipulative vampires. Problem was, he’d have to explain it to his brother later. Despite being warned, Matt had feelings for Summer. There had to be a way to show Matt how wrong it was to like the vampire girl. Once that was done, Trick could kill her without remorse.

  He drove his motorcycle to the downtown area with all the casinos. The street came alive at night with hundreds of tourists, twinkling lights, and an air of excitement. Some people gambled while others went to shows. It was a vampire’s paradise, easy pickings. He cruised around until he caught sight of someone suspicious in one of the alleys.

  Over the years Trick had gotten good at spotting vampires before they revealed their fangs. Maybe it was how they lurked in the shadows; maybe it was pure instinct on his part; or maybe it had something to do with the Carver blood rushing through his veins.

  He approached the vampire with caution even though she didn’t look like much; he’d learned the hard way not to underestimate them.

  The girl was young, mid-teens, and she looked like she hadn’t bathed in weeks. Her hair hadn’t seen a comb in a while either. Tangled with hints of dirt, the long blond curls made him think of Scarlet. Leaning against the graffiti covered brick wall, the girl’s head snapped up as he drew closer, and her wide blue eyes flooded with fear.

  Was she scared? Of him? Or was it an act intended to lure her victims closer?

  Trick glanced around to make sure no one could hear him. “How long have you been a vampire?”

  The girl looked like he’d caught her stealing. “What? I’m not—”

  “My name is Trick, and I’m a hunter. Have you heard of me?”

  “Sorry.” Tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t know this was your territory. Please let me go.”

  “Have you heard of me?” he repeated in a firmer voice. She shook her head, so he asked his original question again. “How long have you been a vampire?”

  “Seven months.”

  “Do you have friends?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “What about the vamp that turned you?”

  She dragged a shoulder along the brick wall, moving away from him inch by inch, and he suspected she was wondering if she could use vampire-speed to escape.

  “He laughed about it after, told me to stay out of trouble. Then he ditched me.”

  “Wait a second.” Trick moved between her and the exit, stake in his hand. “The guy turned you, but he didn’t show you how to deal
?” She shook her head, and Trick asked, “How did it happen? How did you even meet a vampire?”

  She wrung her hands, twisting fingers until they were red. “Things got bad at home. I wanted to run away, and a friend told me I could find a job here. She got me a fake ID and took me to the bus station. The vampire saw me the second I got off. I didn’t even have time to worry about finding a place to sleep.”

  Trick’s jaw clenched in anger and frustration. How many vampires had he killed with similar stories? How many had been innocent victims of an evil monster?

  The girl’s lower lip quivered. “Are you going to kill me?”

  Was he?

  “How many people have you killed?” he asked.

  “What? No.” Her eyes grew wider. “I haven’t—”

  “Tell the truth!”

  She strung her words together without pausing for a breath. “The guy that turned me gave me some blood. After he left, the blood ran out, and I got hungry. You have no idea how bad it is, like you’re dying, and you have to find something cause it hurts so much.

  “I attacked a taxi driver, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I barely broke the skin. He started punching me in the face. I ran away. Then I tried this drunk guy cause he could barely walk, but his blood made me puke. It was worse than dying.

  “After that, I learned my lesson. I drink from animals. That’s it. I swear. Just animals. Rats are nasty gross, but deer and big things like that aren’t too bad. I swear. Just animals.”

  He believed her.

  With a sigh he hung his head. “I know a couple vampires that claim they feed off willing donors and drink from blood bags. They’re looking for new members. I can introduce you to them. They’ll take care of you.”

  She blinked. “You aren’t going to kill me?”

  “Believe me. I am as surprised as you are.”

  A huge smile stretched her mouth, and he realized she was pretty beneath all the filth. Once she had a shower and got into some clean clothes she’d look human again. She was close to Summer’s size. Maybe she could borrow something from Summer’s wardrobe.

  She squealed. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  Open arms, she went to hug him.

  The tip of an arrow emerged from her chest wall, and she froze. Her gaze slowly went down to the metal triangle. She looked at him with wide eyes as her knees buckled.

  Trick caught her.

  She burst into a pile of dust.

  He jumped back and turned in a circle, searching for the hunter who had killed her. The alley was empty. People moved past the opening, most without glancing in his direction. Was there a new hunter in town?

  He made a mental note to take Scarlet with him from now on. Hunting alone wasn’t safe anymore, not if there was another hunter moving into his territory.

  Chapter twenty

  Summer

  Summer slammed the front door on their borrowed mansion as hard as she could. Balling her fists, she closed her eyes and screamed until it hurt her throat. The anger and frustration she’d buried after getting dumped by Jackpot came rushing back. She stomped her feet and screamed again.

  Cowboy rushed into the grand foyer using supernatural speed. He slid across the shiny marble floor at the last second and came to a screeching stop in front of her. His eyes swept down her body. When he saw she wasn’t bleeding or turning to dust, his lips twisted into a wry smile. “Problem?”

  “I am not losing another stupid guy to some brainless twit!” She took a shoe off and threw it at a bust of Beethoven while wishing it was Trick’s head. “It’s like I tuned into a rerun of a show I hoped to never see again. The part of Jackpot is now being played by Trick Donovan, and his mousy neighbor has taken on the role of Silver.”

  She threw her other shoe, and Cowboy ducked.

  She yelled, “This is not happening!”

  Cowboy shook his head. “Since when do you have a thing for the boy? You’ve been nagging me non-stop to forget about adding him to the team.”

  “That was before I caught the matinee today.”

  He chuckled. “What did they do to you?”

  “They reminded me of how Jackpot made a fool of me. The only reason he’s still among the living is because of his wicked wizard powers.”

  “I don’t think he has those anymore.”

  She shot Cowboy an angry glare. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter. If Trick is going to be our fourth... third, he’s going to be mine. That means he needs to give up Plain Jane or the deal is off, and we aren’t turning him.”

  Cowboy frowned. “Plain Jane? You mean his brunette neighbor? She’s almost as pretty as...”

  “Who?” Summer demanded, hands on hips. “Me? Were you going to say me?”

  “Don’t get your panties in a twist. I was thinking of Isobel, not you. She’s almost as pretty as Isobel.” His pulled a small bag of nuts from his pocket and opened them. “Are you planning to do something to the neighbor girl?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “We need Trick’s help. You do remember that we have a Shadow Faerie trying to kill us, right?”

  She rolled her blue eyes. “This has nothing to do with the assassin.”

  “We need Trick to man-up and kill the thing. Make him hate you, and he’ll let us both die.”

  Summer gave Cowboy’s argument careful consideration as she made her way to the huge living area. Her blood boiled at the thought of another Carver boy treating her like second best. What was wrong with them? Was there some sort of mental deformity in their genes?

  She picked a vase off a side table and weighed it with one hand. Heavy. Did that mean expensive?

  Her lips pursed together half a second before she smashed the vase against the fireplace.

  “Hey.” Munching on peanuts, Cowboy swaggered into the room. “Breaking things is my signature move, patent pending.”

  “Better close your eyes then, cause I’m not done yet.”

  She grabbed a lamp that looked like it was made from the finest crystal and threw it against the wall. The resulting crash and flying debris made her smile. A few more cathartic moves like that might make her feel better.

  Cowboy shook his head at her while grinning. “I haven’t seen you in a mood like this since...”

  “Since Jackpot dumped me for that whiny werewolf hunter?”

  “It really sticks in your craw that you didn’t pay him back for that, huh?”

  “Things will be different this time.” Summer’s expression turned predatory and vindictively confident. “Jackpot’s brother will be mine.”

  Cowboy shrugged. “You know me. I don’t believe in getting between a girl and her vengeance, but we’ve got a Shadow Faerie on our tails. It will catch up with us someday soon. Then what?”

  “Isobel says Oberon isn’t trying to kill us anymore.”

  “That girl is a liar.”

  Summer laughed. “That isn’t what you used to say.”

  “Yeah, well, I used to be blinded by love. Now I see her for the lying, manipulative she-wolf that she is, and I don’t buy a word that comes out of her mouth.” He made a rude noise. “She used to say she loved me, and that was a lie. She told me she was happy to be a vampire, and that was a lie. We’re not safe. Even if Oberon doesn’t care about us at the moment, that doesn’t mean he won’t send the Shadow Faerie for us down the line.”

  Summer shrugged. “If that’s true, you should want me to seduce Trick. By the time I’m done with him, he will be happy to save us from the assassin.”

  “Or he’ll want to help the thing murder us.”

  “Have a little faith.”

  Her mouth curved into a naughty smile while all sorts of deliciously dark thoughts filled her mind. What could she do about the mousy neighbor girl? Killing her would make Trick mad enough to stake them. Maybe she could fix it so that the girl didn’t want anything to do with the hunter.

  Summer’s smile grew.

  chapter twenty-one

  Ev
ery Breath You Take

  From the second Trick left his home that morning he felt a stranger’s eyes following his every movement. The question was, who? He ruled out the vampires. They didn’t usually bother to hide, so he was almost positive it wasn’t them. He thought Scarlet might be testing his sixth-sense to see how long it took for him to notice. But she would have revealed herself when he started looking around for the intruder. By the time he left for school he was certain his new stalker wasn’t a friend.

  There were two traffic lights between the house and school. He hit the red on both. Normally he’d be annoyed, but the frequent stops gave him time to search for his stalker. The street he was on had a low flow of traffic, so a tail should be easy to spot. Still, he didn’t see anything unusual. That meant a professional was on his case.

  The motorcycle vibrated beneath him, and he itched to take off at full throttle. Unfortunately, there were too many cars in the way. It didn’t matter if he killed himself since the dark power in his veins would eventually take him out, but he didn’t want to hurt anybody else. Maybe later he could ride his bike up into the hills. He loved the winding, twisty road leading up to Lake Tahoe and Incline Village.

  Halfway to his destination, his side mirror caught a mysterious black van. They were good, he had to admit. If it wasn’t for the slow flow of traffic, he probably wouldn’t have noticed them. They kept their distance, but they followed him all the way to the high school. When he swerved into the parking lot, they traveled down the road several feet before pulling over to the curb.

  Seconds later, a pair of binoculars protruded from a wide crack between the driver’s side window and the roof. They were searching the parking lot for him.

  Trick parked between a large truck and an SUV so the spies couldn’t see what he was doing. He jumped off his bike. Keeping low, he slid a hand along the truck’s body until he made it to the bumper. He peered around it. The guy in the van hadn’t moved.