by Sarah Makela
The people around us all seemed happy, regardless of the apocalypse the world had faced. Their smiles and lingering touches hurt my heart. I wanted those things most. A true, loving relationship...could that ever happen for me?
The harsh bang of a gun firing sounded somewhere outside, and I nearly jumped out of my seat. Panic thrummed in my chest. Another bang followed the first, and loud scrambling noises ensued. The Cazador were after more nocturnes. I glanced at Brendan, and our eyes met.
He appeared stoic, but the energy around him spiked, giving me a sensation like ants marching across my skin. His gaze shifted to the door, as if willing someone to come through so he could kill them.
The shouts and gunshots grew louder. But we should be safe here. The hunters wouldn’t dare rampage through such a fancy restaurant, not when the people who frequented places like this funded them. Though that might not stop them if they were in pursuit.
My shoulders tensed, and I placed my hand on his. “Don’t. You can’t risk yourself.”
Brendan looked at me for a moment, then pulled away. He dug through his wallet, leaving more money on the table than I typically saw in a year. “You’re right. Let’s get out of here. I don’t want you to be this close to danger, especially while defenseless.” He stood and held out his hand for me.
“I’m not defenseless.” Frowning, I stared up at him. “I could protect myself if I had to.” I’d handled myself with Derek, after all. Getting one up on a vampire wasn’t an easy task.
Narrowing his eyes, he extended his hand farther. “Right now, you’re my responsibility. I’m in charge of your safety. Don’t make me cause a scene, because I will.” Anger darkened his eyes.
I drew in a shaky breath, not comfortable with this side of him, but I accepted his offered hand. The last thing we needed was attention drawn to us.
The large windows at the front of the restaurant shattered, and glass rained inward. Several guests screamed and ducked under tables. Having the Cazador interrupt an evening wasn’t uncommon, but they usually kept to the streets unless they were in pursuit of nocturnes.
Brendan crouched beside me, his hand squeezing mine a little tighter.
Fear pumped through my veins as three Cazador filed through the front door.
Near the shattered glass crouched a man. No, it was a nocturne, with blood trickling over the pale skin of his face and arms. He watched the Cazador, wrinkling his nose with utter disgust. The nocturne flashed long fangs and darted toward the back of the restaurant, past our table. He sucked in a deep breath and paused to hiss at us before continuing.
At the restaurant’s entrance, the hostess held her hand over her mouth, swaying on her feet as if she was moments from fainting. One of the hunters poked her in the chest, causing her to collapse to the floor, while the others darted after the vampire. Satisfied by intimidating the woman, the third man barreled through the restaurant to catch up with his pals. My heart skipped a beat. He was the younger hunter from the Teatro the other night.
Oh no. I dropped my purse and ducked my head, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. Brendan pulled me closer to his hard torso and kept my panic at bay.
Thankfully, the hunter ran by without even a glance in our direction. Once the commotion died down, I strode toward the door, with Brendan close behind in the small crowd anxious to leave their ruined dinners behind. Once we were outside, he grabbed my arm, pulling me aside.
“What happened in there?” He tilted my chin up, forcing my gaze to meet his. “You hid from the last guy.”
“He was...” My voice broke a little and I cleared my throat. “He was at the Teatro...” I scanned the street around us, making sure no one was nearby, then glanced back. “He shot me.” I pointed at the shoulder splint, grimacing at the constant throb of pain.
Brendan’s spine stiffened. “He hurt you.” The muscles in his jaw tightened, and he clenched his hands into fists. “He could’ve killed you. I can’t stand by and let him get away with that.”
I grabbed him by the arm as he turned away. “Stop. Please.” I tried to pull him in the direction of my home; we needed to get out of there before the hunters came back. But he stayed rooted in place like a large tree. I tugged harder, using my supernatural strength, but he still didn’t move. “Brendan, we should go home.”
Footsteps and more gunshots sounded nearby. Probably the Cazador continuing their vampire hunt. With how rowdy they were, it was curious that they actually found nocturnes in the first place. People ran on the sidewalk behind us, and before I could turn, the vampire from the restaurant barreled past, shoving me into Brendan, who stumbled against the wall.
The three Cazador rushed past as I tried to regain my composure. One of them rammed his elbow into my shoulder as he went. I bit my lower lip, holding in a scream. Tears slid over my cheeks, and I buried my face in the hard planes of Brendan’s chest.
He carefully wrapped his arms around me and rubbed my back in soothing circles. His touch comforted me, but we couldn’t do this here. It was too dangerous. I pulled away as the hurried footfalls faded into the distance.
“We need to get out of here. We’re lucky the hunters didn’t spot me.” I glanced up at him. “Besides, I do need your protection, and I don’t want you to die trying to get revenge.”
Warmth glowed in his eyes, and he nodded. “You’re right. Let’s get you safe.”
I brushed my fingers along his jaw line and smiled. Maybe not all men were like my father.
CHAPTER THREE
Derek
“A vampire killed Tom. It’s disgusting to see our kind turn on each other. We aren’t humans. We should be above trivial civil wars.” Prescott glanced between us. “Reports from a surviving member of his entourage, a wizard, said there were three unfamiliar vampires. Tom’s people killed one. By the time the wizard escaped, his master was dead, and he had no clue who’d murdered Tom.
“I suspected the wizard had a part in it. After all, how best to escape one’s master than by one’s own hand? However, you had a similar experience. Now I fear something more menacing is going on. I’d appreciate you telling me if you notice anything else out of the ordinary. We can’t afford to lose another member of the High Council.” The concern wasn’t lost on me, even though he pretended it was for my role in the council. Prescott leveled his gaze at Elliot. “You need to be careful as well. You’d be no good to us dead. I don’t want your promotion to be in vain. Now go.”
I lowered my head, glad the meeting was over, even if it hadn’t given me any clarity. Perhaps Tom’s entourage had killed him; there were rumors that he hadn’t been the nicest master. But I didn’t keep pets—life was simpler on my own—so that wouldn’t explain why the necromancer and his friend came after me.
Elliot swept into an elaborate bow. “I will do my best, my lord.”
Prescott waved his hand at my friend. “I told you to do away with formalities.”
Once Elliot and I were outside the High Council’s building, I released a premature breath of relief.
Gunshots and the thundering of boots revealed the Cazador were already roaming the streets. I needed to return home; I didn’t want to risk dealing with the annoying hunters.
I clapped Elliot on the back, urging him along. After one attempt on my life, I didn’t want to stay still. Fate need not be tempted again, and I had limits to how much drama I could handle in one evening.
“When will you take Lord Prescott’s hint and act more casually during private meetings? Sometimes you allow your manners to get in the way of business.” I glanced at the century-younger vampire and smirked.
Rolling his eyes, Elliot brushed my hand from his shoulder. “It’s not my fault. I have some humanity left in me, unlike some who will remain unnamed.”
“You do? Then why do you enjoy the politics of the council? Since when does that relate to anything humane?” I shook my head. “No, I don’t understand those who enjoy it. Not in this day and age. When the world was still whole and polit
ics didn’t bring us to this level of depravity, sure, even I didn’t mind the game, but now...it disgusts me.”
I leaned closer to Elliot and spoke so softly I could barely hear myself. “Especially since some place themselves on moral high horses when really, what difference is there among the nocturnes when we’re all in the process of being exterminated like insects? No one looks at the threat humans pose. No one thinks to quit fighting amongst ourselves and work together.”
Elliot’s expression turned grim, and he shook his head. “How can you think that would be the answer? Not harming lesser nocturnes wouldn’t solve the problem. It would only make us appear weaker. We wouldn’t have our position of authority with the races we are at peace with.”
I balled my hands into fists. Elliot’s opinion was the popular one amongst vampires. They believed it was better to be powerful alone than to ally with the other races, but I thought my interaction with Carmela showed the potential for peace.
Not everyone was of the same mindset. We were the hunted, not the hunters, these days. Being centuries old and knowing how our ancestors had thrived frustrated me. We’d always had easy prey living amongst humans, but those days were firmly in the past. I lamented them because I had witnessed that paradise for myself; those days weren’t a fantasy to me as they were for some of my younger kin.
“You don’t understand the brainwashing you’ve been subjected to, Elliot. That’s all.”
Before I could react, he slammed me into the building next to us. Elliot’s face hovered before mine. His upper lip trembled with the effort to keep his fangs hidden as a light shade of pink flooded his cheeks. “You don’t understand. I know what’s going on with you—why you want change. I smelled her on your spare bed. No, don’t give me that look. I snooped because you made me suspicious. You should be ashamed of yourself.” He drew in a breath. “I, as your friend, gave my word that I wouldn’t tell anyone about your tryst with the lycanthrope. Maybe the reason you’re interested in becoming friends with everyone else is that you don’t want to hide your relationship with her. Maybe you don’t care about what it could do to our people.”
“And what would that be?” I glanced around the street, making sure no one was around to witness our discussion. “Having more unity, less pissing around with others, not holding firm to a Feud that no one knows the purpose of? How many years has it been going on? Not even Lord Prescott has said why the Feud continues. Perhaps even he doesn’t know, and he’s been around longer than you and I combined.” I shoved Elliot away from me, tired of him being in my face.
He stumbled back a few steps. Frustration drew his eyebrows together. “Fine. I have my doubts about it, but I’m not willing to throw away my people’s security for a wolf who might have been sent to eradicate us. But as your friend, I’ll let you make your own decision. Make sure it doesn’t drive all sense from you and get you killed.” He looked up into the cloudy night. “Don’t make me act on behalf of the High Council, especially now, with my promotion. You saved my life by turning me, and I don’t want to betray you. But I can’t be disloyal to Lord Prescott. He’d sense it.”
Frowning, I smoothed out the wrinkles from my shirt. “I don’t want to put you in that position. I’m not having relations with the w...” I scanned the darkness around us again, uneasy about having this conversation in public. There was no way of telling who could hear us. “Woman. However, I don’t think singling each other out is the best way to stay alive. We should try to do something about the situation we’re in instead of blaming others, especially since we know nothing about why the Feud is happening.”
“But if our elders saw fit...” Elliot raised his clasped fists toward me as if begging me to understand. But he let his hands slowly fall to his sides and shook his head. “You’re right. Perhaps we should figure out why our people are dying before bringing something like this to Lord Prescott. I wouldn’t know how to explain it. He has such a strict view on things.”
“You don’t have to be the one to tell him. Once we find out why Tom was killed, I can explain the reasoning behind my ideas. Hopefully he’ll listen, but if not, I won’t have to feel bad about getting you involved. Besides, Lord Prescott and I have an agreement letting me freely communicate my concerns to him.” Granted, that was before I started skipping High Council meetings left and right, but I didn’t think he would have me killed for speaking my mind. If that were the case, I would’ve been dead long ago. The only way Prescott might be convinced to kill me would be for disobedience. Actions like not showing up for meetings...or worse, helping an injured werewolf and developing feelings for her.
If Elliot remained true to his word about not telling the council, then I had no reason to fear. But what if Prescott discovered my deceit and ordered Elliot to talk? Elliot would sing like a bird about my relationship with Carmela. Maybe I did have reason for concern after all.
Pounding footsteps sounded on the sidewalk ahead, and I turned toward the noise. I didn’t want to deal with the Cazador, tonight of all nights.
Elliot froze in place, and his gaze searched the area.
A grinning vampire jogged toward us, flashing his fangs. Behind the vampire were three Cazador, huffing and puffing as they ran.
I rolled my eyes. This wasn’t what our kind needed, someone acting stupid just to show off.
One of the Cazador looked familiar. Anger darkened his eyes, and he removed his pistol from its holster. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a glowing bullet that looked like it had sunlight radiating from it.
I jerked my head to the side, trying to get the vampire’s attention. If only I possessed telepathy instead of telekinesis, right now would’ve been an opportune time to use it. The young vampire ignored me, not heeding my silent warning.
“Die, bloodsucker,” the hunter said.
The gunshot exploded through the night air, and I had a moment to see the vampire’s eyes widen before he exploded into dust. The bullet flew through his ashy remains, straight toward us.
I pulled Elliot toward the building and pressed myself against the wall, not wanting the bullet to touch us. I had no idea what was in it, but whatever it was, it was lethal.
Elliot and I crossed the street to put space between ourselves and the Cazador. We could’ve died from the strange bullet. The hunters were still humans, but they grew more dangerous with each passing day.
CHAPTER FOUR
Brendan
The tender feel of Carmela’s hands on my skin brought my beast closer to the surface. I couldn’t wait to undergo the official ceremony and take her as my mate. She made me feel so many emotions that I’d never felt for anyone else.
I drew her in for another hug before letting go. We stared into each other’s eyes, neither of us moving to leave. While I knew she was right and that we should get her home, I didn’t want to the night to be over.
The bang of a single gunshot sent shivers down my spine. It sounded so final, so definite. A growl rumbled in my chest before I caught myself. “Let’s go. That hunter could come back. I don’t want you to be spotted.” She would be my mate. It was my job to keep her safe, regardless of her Militia training.
“Yes, you’re right.” Her voice trembled, and she looked physically shaken.
I rested my hand on her uninjured shoulder. “Are you okay? They hit you hard. If you need to see Dr. Matthews, I can send for him once we reach your home.”
She smiled, but it looked more like a wince. I should’ve thought about getting her seen sooner. Her shoulders were bunched up, and pain tightened the corners of her lips and eyes. She seemed to consider my offer for a moment, but shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.” I offered her my arm, and she placed her hand on the crook of my elbow.
“Thank you.” She walked with me, jumping at each bump in the night. It made me increasingly on edge. Then a feeling of being watched crept over me.
Across the street, the dark-haired vampire we’d
seen earlier strolled along with another vampire. The other one turned his gaze to us. A smirk tugged at his lips, but he kept his fangs hidden. Carmela’s fingers bit into my arm, and I placed my hand on hers, trying to comfort her.
She looked up at me, loosening her grip as if remembering I was there too. Looking ahead, I saw the Cazador who had shot her walking toward us, seeming pleased about something. His gaze rose and Carmela gasped. A second passed before recognition lit up his eyes and he reached for his gun.
I swirled around, pushing Carmela ahead of me, and we darted back toward the restaurant where we’d eaten dinner.
She ran, but it was plain to see the pain weighing down her movements. She tried holding her arm in place so it wouldn’t jerk around too much. The idea of tossing her over my shoulder and taking off crossed my mind, but that would take a moment away from the chase, a moment that might cost us dearly. Besides, I didn’t want to injure her further. But her life was more important than momentary pain. Once we were out of sight, I’d sweep her off her feet and get her to safety.
“Just go without me,” she said, pain clear in her voice. “I’m slowing you down.”
“No. I’m not leaving you to fend for yourself.”
More voices shouted behind us, making all kinds of excited yells. The hunter’s buddies had come along for the party after all.
She turned a corner at full speed. The high heel she wore snapped, sending her crashing to the ground. I yanked her to her feet without stopping. She kicked off the other heel toward a pile of trash. There was the crunch of broken glass underfoot, and she cried out.
I scooped her into my arms and continued running.
Two dark figures blocked the exit of the alleyway. How could the hunters have gotten there so quickly? That didn’t make sense. Heavy clomping footfalls echoed from behind us.
As I ran closer, the scent of death filled my nose. Vampires.
“Hurry. Follow us,” the vampire from earlier said in a harsh whisper.