by J. C. Diem
“I already have a perfect complexion,” she replied snootily. “I have no need of assistance in that regard.”
“You could use some enhancement with your personality,” I muttered.
“What did you say?” she demanded.
Quin rounded on us before we could descend into an argument. “You’re three hundred, not thirteen,” she said to the siren. “Act your age.” She turned to me and pointed her finger at my face. “You might only be nineteen, but you’ve been in this life long enough to have learned some control.”
“I know,” I said and blew out a sigh. “I’ve heard this lecture before.” Far too many times to count in fact. “It’s just my nature to tease people.” The snobbier they were, the more I wanted to needle them into getting a reaction.
“If you’re going to be a member of our team, you’ll have to learn to curb your childish impulses,” she warned me. “What I saw today gives me hope that you could fit in with us. We need people we can trust and depend on. We don’t need someone who will cause trouble just because she thinks it’s fun.”
That stung, but she was right. I wasn’t dealing with normal humans anymore. They were the Hunter Elite. It was a miracle they were even contemplating bringing me into their fold. Swallowing my pride wasn’t easy, but I forced myself to speak. “I’m sorry,” I said to Mirra. “You were awesome against that thing. You were so powerful that it took everything I had not to throw myself at you and hump your leg like a randy dog.”
She struggled against the urge to insult me and finally found something to say. “You showed strength I hadn’t expected to resist me at my full power. It usually takes years of practice to fight my allure.” She flicked a look at Connor and her smugness returned. “Men are far more susceptible, of course. Most never learn to ignore my feminine wiles.”
Connor gave her a nasty glare, but he didn’t say anything. Quin said it for him. “It appears he has a secret weapon against a siren’s power now,” she said and nodded at me. “Arienna helped Connor to resist you. I’m not sure how she did it, but she blocked your enthrallment.”
Mirra’s gorgeous brown eyes narrowed in instant ire. “That should not have been possible,” she said in an affronted tone. “Not even vampires have the willpower to resist us, let alone to assist someone else to do so.”
“I guess I’m just an enigma coated in a pile of mud,” I said. I hadn’t realized Quin had observed Connor clutching me so desperately.
The siren muttered something beneath her breath, but thankfully let it go. “Can we get out of here?” she asked plaintively. “I’m afraid I’m going to become permanently stuck in this mud if we don’t leave soon.”
“Lead the way,” Quin invited and we began fighting our way towards the ladder.
Chapter Thirty-Two
After a quick search, we found a shower tucked away in a corner of the building. Quin went first, stepping in fully clothed to wash as much of the mud off her boots and clothes as possible before stripping them off. Connor waited outside and Mirra and I turned our backs to give our boss privacy. When she was done, she pulled her dripping clothes back on and left to call the sheriff to give him an update.
Mirra went next and I had to grit my teeth when she sang as she leisurely washed herself. I knew she was trying to get a reaction out of me. She was trying to force me to turn around and ogle her naked body to prove she had power over me. Gripping my biceps tightly, I reminded myself I wasn’t into girls until she finally finished. “It’s all yours,” she purred. Even with her hair hanging in ratty strands and her wrinkled clothes clinging to her, she was still ridiculously gorgeous.
I copied Quin and Mirra and stepped into the shower fully clothed. Gobbets of mud splattered to the floor in clumps. I scraped as much of the crud off before stripping down. It wasn’t easy to get clean without soap or shampoo and conditioner. I did the best I could, then turned the water off and got dressed.
Connor entered the room as I was about to pull the door open. Closing it, he stared at me with a distant expression. “About what happened earlier when Mirra used her power,” he began.
I cut him off, knowing what he was going to say. “I know. It didn’t mean anything. You don’t have the hots for me. I’m not your type and there can never be anything between us if we end up being colleagues. You just used me to keep Mirra’s unholy power from making you go insane with lust for her.” He blinked at me without saying a word. “Did I leave anything out?” I asked.
“Nope. That about covers it,” he replied. I was pretty sure he almost smiled, but he was good at keeping his face blank.
I opened the door and made the mistake of looking over my shoulder before pulling it shut. Connor had stripped his shirt off and his back was even more well-muscled than I remembered from the dream I’d had about him. With an internal sigh of longing, I shut the door before he realized I was staring at him.
Sheriff Robertson had already arrived when I stepped outside. He stood next to Quin and was gaping at Mirra. He was a plain man somewhere in his thirties. The poor guy was so bedazzled by the siren that he wasn’t listening to a word Quin was saying. I sniggered quietly when I heard her exasperated sigh. “Go and wait in the SUV, Mirra,” she ordered and handed over the keys.
“Pathetic human,” Mirra complained softly and sauntered over to the gate.
Quin had to take hold of the sheriff’s chin and turn his face towards her to break the spell. Shaking himself like a dog shedding water, he focused on her. “Sorry. Did you say something, Quin?”
His head tried to turn to follow Mirra, but she snapped her fingers in front of his eyes to recapture his attention. “This is Arienna Austin.”
He extended his hand and I shook it. The last dregs of Mirra’s spell seemed to drift away and his expression sharpened. “Nice to meet you,” he said perfunctorily, then turned back to Quin. “Did you find any of the missing people?”
Her reply dashed his hopes. “No. Something I’ve never seen before had taken up residence in the plant.” She showed him the photos she’d taken and his already pale face went a few shades whiter.
“Are they all dead?” he asked hoarsely.
“As a doornail,” she confirmed. “We found their queen and destroyed her and the hundreds of eggs that she’d laid.”
He blanched at the next set of photos she showed him of the offspring. “How could she have laid so many in such a short space of time?”
“We don’t know yet,” she replied tiredly. “I’m going to have to consult the Master Archivist. He might have some ideas.”
“I’ll call in some local hunters to help clean up this mess,” Sheriff Robertson said. He was talking about the bodies of the creatures rather than the mud. We always destroyed the evidence of supernatural monsters. I hadn’t bothered to bury the bodies of the small family who had been drained by Alakay and his minions. The fire had burned all but the teenage girl. She’d been so badly mauled that her death would have looked like an animal attack.
Quin trusted the sheriff to take care of the rest of the mission. He’d grown up among our kind and knew the rules better than most. I could see the benefits of having hunters in law enforcement. It would come in handy if we were ever arrested for just doing our jobs. Sometimes, it was hard to explain our actions.
Connor emerged from the building and trotted over to us. His dripping boots and clothes left a trail of water behind him. He gave the sheriff a nod, which Robertson returned.
“It’s time for us to go,” Quin said and offered him her hand to shake.
“Thanks for your help,” the sheriff said in sincere gratitude, wincing a little at her strong grip.
“We were glad to assist,” our boss replied, then we walked away.
When we reached the SUV, Connor shook his head when he saw Mirra had taken the front seat. She cocked an eyebrow in challenge, but he was too weary to try to evict her. Quin clearly wasn’t in the mood for any drama and he climbed into the back without a word.
“Is anyone else hungry?” I asked when my stomach rumbled.
Mirra swiveled around to face me. “How can you even think of eating with the stench of mud still clinging to you?”
“My stomach doesn’t care that I stink,” I said reasonably. “I burned up a lot of energy and I need to replenish it.”
“You could always bite Connor,” she said facetiously. “I’m sure shifter blood would give you a boost.”
I turned to him, but my amused smile died at the rage on his face. “I will never let a leech drink my blood,” he said in something close to disgust. “I’d rather die first.”
Mirra belatedly remembered that his entire family had been slaughtered by vampires. “I’m sorry, Connor,” she said softly and reached out to touch his knee. “I was just joking.”
“It wasn’t funny,” he said flatly, pulling away from her. He turned towards the window, shutting us all out. I wanted to put my hand on his shoulder, but I was the last person he would want comfort from. Creatures like me had ruined his life. It was an understatement to say I wasn’t his type now. I wasn’t even the right species to have ever had a chance with him.
I closed my eyes and slumped back in the seat, uncaring that my dripping clothes soaked into the leather. We’d been victorious, but I felt hollow inside. Quin had temporarily accepted me into her team, but I wondered if I could ever really be one of them. No one would completely trust a vampire. The undead were despised by all. We were the worst of the worst. Any chance that I could ever find happiness with a man had been shattered once I’d become a monster. The only type of beings who would ever want me were other bloodsuckers. Frankly, the thought of having sex with a vampire made me want to hurl.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Quin took pity on my rumbling stomach and stopped at the next town. She swung into a drive thru and we all ordered a meal. Being a health nut, she ordered salad. I didn’t have her compulsion to treat my body like a temple and ordered a greasy burger and fries. Mirra and Connor took the opportunity to splurge on junk food as well, much to Quin’s disapproval.
She drove to a park and we climbed out and headed to one of the tables. Eating in the SUV was forbidden, although it hardly mattered now that it stank slightly of mud and sewage. I devoured my meal and slurped on my soda, feeling full and content. I’d burned up a lot of energy during the mission, but at least I wasn’t starving for blood.
“I’ve made arrangements for us to visit the Main Archives,” Quin informed us when we’d finished eating. “They’re expecting us in the morning.”
“Where is the Main Archives?” I asked.
“It’s a couple of hours away from our mansion in a town called Rosethorn.”
“Is it a coincidence that your base is so close to it?”
She smiled at my hint of suspicion. “No. I chose the mansion because of its nearness to the Main Archives.”
I thought about that while drinking the dregs of my soda. “How long have the Archives been around?”
“Three hundred years or so, in the US at least. They’ve existed for much longer in Europe. Our team was formed when the Archives were established here.”
“I thought the Hunter Elite had only been in existence for sixty years.”
She shook her head in denial. “That was when I took over. There have been several units before ours.”
“What happened to the former members?”
She, Connor and Mirra shared an uneasy glance. “They died,” Connor said at last. “Their teams were all hunted down and were destroyed.”
“How many teams have there been?”
“We’re the thirteenth,” Quin said crisply. I tried not to cringe at the unlucky number. “We don’t know why these people have been hunting our predecessors, but I don’t intend for us to become their next victims.”
Hunting was a dangerous business and death was almost inevitable. Dying at the hands of the monsters we chased was expected. Being deliberately hunted down meant someone out there had an agenda. The Hunter Elite had existed for three centuries. That was a very long time to hold a grudge. I suspected a supernatural creature of some sort had to be behind the previous teams’ deaths.
Quin checked her watch, then flicked a look at the dying sun. “We need to get a move on. I’ve booked us into a bed n’ breakfast near Rosethorn. If we hurry, we can make it before nightfall.”
It was a reminder that it was still the full moon. She would need somewhere private to suffer through her inability to transform into a wolf. She couldn’t exactly howl inside a hotel room, but I figured she had a plan.
We piled back into the SUV and buckled ourselves in. Quin drove faster than the speed limit, but I trusted her not to crash. Her expression was focused and determined. Connor had taken the front seat again, so Mirra sat across from me. She put her earbuds in place and the sound of classical music filtered to me.
It was nearly dark by the time we neared a small town close to Rosethorn. It was off the freeway and was nestled in the woods. I could see why our fearless leader had chosen this place. The old house had been converted into a bed n’ breakfast that was easily large enough to accommodate us all.
We filed inside and Quin registered us, then handed us our keycards. She drew us away from the reception desk so we could speak in private. “Connor, you’re in charge. I’ll see you all in the morning.” He nodded, then she spun around and trotted for the door.
“I need a bath,” Mirra said and headed for the stairs. The elderly woman sitting at the reception desk stared at the siren as she trudged upwards.
Connor motioned for me to precede him up the stairs. The house was quaint, with old photos of long dead people hanging on the walls. The light gray carpet and cream wallpaper were faded and worn, but it just seemed to add to the charm.
Our rooms were scattered up and down the hall. I was glad I didn’t have to share a room with Mirra. She wasn’t exactly fun to be around. Connor stopped me before I could close my door. “Don’t leave the building,” he ordered. His room was directly across from mine, which I suspected had been deliberate.
I rolled my eyes and saluted him. “Yes, sir!”
“It’s for your own safety,” he said, eyes narrowing at my cheeky insubordination. “Someone out there wants us dead. We’ve had a lot of run-ins with people who’ve attacked us for no reason.”
“Were they human?” I asked, all amusement fleeing.
He nodded and leaned against the doorjamb. “As far as we could tell. We killed a few and the rest ran off each time.”
“How many times have they tried to kill you?”
“Four so far.” Four times over sixty years didn’t seem all that ominous to me. “That’s just this year,” he added and my stomach plummeted to my shoes. “I’ve lost count how many times they’ve tried over the past six decades.”
“Have they ever attacked the mansion?”
To my relief, he shook his head. “Hardly anyone knows where our base is and we’re determined to keep it that way.”
“How do they keep finding you then?”
“We’re not sure, but anytime we go out on a mission, there’s a chance they could turn up.”
They hadn’t so far and I hoped that meant we were safe this time. “Thanks for the warning,” I said. “I won’t leave the building.” Where would I go anyway? I didn’t have much money. I couldn’t stay with any of the hunters who had raised and trained me. From the sounds of it, I would just endanger their lives. It was possible our mysterious enemies already knew about me. If so, they would want me dead as well.
Showering away the rest of the mud and grime, I wished I knew more about the Hunter Elite’s history. Someone had to know who wanted us dead and why. Maybe the Master Archivist would have the answers. Then again, if he knew, surely he would have told Quin and her team by now.
When my hair was no longer matted with filth, I turned the water off and climbed out of the shower. I could hear Mirra blow drying her hair and humming lightly
beneath her breath at the same time. A small trickle of her power leaked out and I wasn’t the only one who felt it.
“Mirra!” Connor hissed loudly. “Put a lid on it!”
She giggled wickedly, which told me it had been deliberate. “Sorry, Connor,” she called out sweetly. “It was an accident.”
“Accident my ass,” he muttered. His Scottish accent thickened so ass came out sounding like arse.
I snorted out a laugh, then tried to cover it with a cough. Connor mumbled something else, but it was too quiet for me to understand him. I was pretty sure I heard ‘women’ in there somewhere.
A bell rang a few minutes later, summoning us downstairs for dinner, which Quin had thoughtfully arranged when we’d first arrived. Mirra had changed into a formfitting white dress which emphasized her breasts and hips. Again, her ballet-flats were a perfect match. Connor resolutely looked anywhere but at her. A young couple joined us at the long table and gawked at the siren. Mirra preened beneath their attention. She might pretend to be disgusted by their weakmindedness, but I thought she secretly loved the attention.
Catching Connor’s eye as he sat across from me, he rolled his and I smirked. He knew Mirra was testing his authority, but he was used to her antics by now.
We made polite conversation with the young couple, but everyone fell silent when a howl rent the air. The woman shivered and huddled against her boyfriend. “I didn’t think there were any wolves left in West Virginia,” she said with a hint of fear in her voice.
“I’m sure it’s just a stray and that it will return to its pack soon,” her partner said soothingly.
For Quin’s sake, I wished that was true. Unfortunately, she was defective and she would never be accepted by a pack of full-blood werewolves. Like me, she was unique, which meant she would never quite fit in anywhere, except with the motley unit that she’d gathered.
Chapter Thirty-Four