“They’re tough bastards. Ancient too. The lines have nearly all died out.” I take another drink then offer it to Rainey, who takes it without hesitation.
“So he was old?” she asks, pressing the crystal to her lips and taking a drink.
“Very.”
“Older than you?”
I glance over at her. “Not quite.” She’s changed into black sweats and my Nirvana T-shirt. Her hair is still wet from the shower, her face clean of all makeup from our date earlier.
She’s never looked more beautiful.
“You okay?”
“You’re the one who had her shoulder flayed.”
Lifting the sleeve up over the top of her shoulder, she shows me the damage. The wound is closed, but the ragged line and red discoloration will probably remain for a day or two while the muscles inside finish stitching back together.
“It hurts like hell.”
I reach up and trail a finger over her jaw. “The bastard could have killed you.”
“He didn’t. And, in case you missed it, I took out two witches. Not bad for someone who faced her first witch less than a week ago.” She offers me the drink.
Taking it, I turn back toward the water and down the rest of my whiskey.
“I think I might have almost blacked out, too. When I was killing the griffin.”
I turn to her. “You think?”
“It was strange.” Rainey bites down on the inside of her cheek. “I felt the power like I do right before I black out. But this time, I remembered all of it. And I came back immediately after I killed him. Do you think I’m starting to gain control over it? Or that Stella’s tea is helping control it?”
“It’s possible. You remember all of it?”
“Yes. There was no pain in my shoulder or my stomach where that witch hit me with an energy ball. I was just—powerful, Elijah. Strong. It was an amazing feeling.” She smiles, but it’s laced with nerves, almost as if she doesn’t know whether to be happy or terrified at the new turn of events.
Truthfully, I have no fucking clue either. But I’ve had enough of shit news to last me my entire life. So instead of letting her see how worried I am, I simply nod. “That’s good. Maybe something will start going our way.”
Brow furrowed, she stares up at me. “Why are you angry?”
“I nearly ripped your throat out, Rainey.”
“But you didn’t.”
“You have no idea what thoughts were going through my head.”
Blood.
Drink.
Drain.
Devour.
Kill.
I shake my head.
“Elijah.” She grips my arm and turns me so I’m facing her.
Anger burns me, but it’s more than that. It’s disappointment in myself. In the way I react to her. How the hell am I supposed to keep Rainey alive when the very scent of her blood makes me want to kill her? “I don’t get it; I don’t understand why the bloodlust—it’s getting worse, Rainey. Every damned time you get hurt, I wonder if it will be the final straw, if this time I won’t be able to control myself.”
She smiles, the beauty of her soul shining through and reminding me that she is too good for me. I’ve slaughtered humans by the hundreds, killed hunters like her—so why the hell did I let myself taint her?
And even as I know this, I also know there’s no fucking way I’ll be going back. My life without Rainey Astor is meaningless.
“You are forgetting something,” she says softly.
“What?”
“I can still kick your ass.”
I laugh, but the forced sound lacks humor. “So confident.”
“Absolutely.”
I reach into the pocket of my sweats and pull out a bag of Skittles I grabbed for her.
“When did you get these?” She enthusiastically rips the bag open and turns it up, dumping some into her mouth.
“I went out after my shower while you were still cleaning up.” Because I couldn’t stand the scent of your blood any longer.
“You are my hero, Sir Elijah Hawthorne.”
Shaking my head, I chuckle as remnants of the violent evening strip away each time she smiles at me. “I’m no hero,” I remind her. “Probably best you stop forgetting that.”
She arches a dark eyebrow. “So you’re not a hero, yet you followed me for weeks to make sure I was safe, freed eight humans and sent them to me, killed a nest of vamps who’d tried to kill me the night before, rescued me when I was poisoned by that council member, and then you saved me from the alleyway near my apartment when I was being beaten to death. Have I left anything out? Oh, yes, let’s not forget what I learned tonight. You saved the queen and rescued a siren who was going to be raped by members of the Immortal Council.”
Swallowing hard, I look away from her, back to the pool. “You have no idea the damage I’ve done in my time, Rainey. The ashes I’ve left behind after burning whole villages to the ground. When I finally surfaced with some form of humanity, I promised myself that I’d find that damned cure and die like I should have. Now, I don’t want that. I want to live. With you. Be happy with you. What does that make me? That I’m so selfish I no longer wish to seek redemption for the evil that’s been carried out by my hands?”
She places a hand on my chest, right above my heart. “We’ve all done things we wish we hadn’t, committed atrocities we wish we could take back. You’ve done a lot of good since then, and at some point, you’re going to have to forgive yourself for the actions of that vampire. You are no longer him.”
Her words resonate with me in a way I never expected. As if hearing from her that she doesn’t see me as a beast is enough to soothe some of the cracks in my soul. Especially after Aoife resurfaced and brought with her the memories of all of the horrors I committed while trying to erase the pain.
“I see you, Elijah. The man inside who wants to do good. And he’s the one I will stand beside until the fires of hell swallow the both of us.”
Reaching forward, I cup her cheek and pull her toward me. And when I kiss her, I give in to all of the feelings I’ve carried since the moment I laid eyes on her.
“You take my breath away, Rainey. The very thought of losing you kills me.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she promises, the echo of it traveling through the pool room and straight into me. “You’re stuck with me, Vampire.”
“I can think of worse things.” I smile and pull her against me again, kissing her softly as I do my best to forget about the fight lingering in our near future.
12
Heather
“Anything else I can get you, hun?”
I look up at the brunette waitress standing before me. Her soft brown eyes are trained on my face but in such a way that I know, if I asked her to jump, she would beg me to tell her how high.
That’s how my world works. How it’s always worked.
Humans bend at my will. And supernaturals? They fall to my feet, shivering in fear.
Soon, they will again.
I take another bite of something she called a pancake slathered in a brown, sticky liquid that makes the entire meal sweeter than anything I’ve ever had before. “I would very much like more of these.”
“You’ve got it. More coffee?” She gestures to my empty cup.
“No, thank you.”
Jan—the waitress—smiles and turns away. I watch her leave before getting to my feet and slipping out through the back door. My stomach is full, my needs sated—for now. Soon, I will have to get back. If I’m not, they will know I was gone.
And if that happens, it all falls apart.
The night sky wraps around me, the embrace of a lover.
I smile up at the stars twinkling overhead, letting the soft breeze blow the strands of my dark hair about my face. It’s been far too long since I walked freely.
Far too long since I’ve breathed the fresh air outside of my prison cell.
But soon, there will not be a cell strong enough to hold me.
>
Soon, I will enact my revenge.
I head deeper into the woods. Each surrounding tree puts off its own kind of magic, its own signature, and I absorb it, basking in the wonderful life around me.
Life that will soon be altered irrevocably.
What does it feel like? a voice asks me, and I smile.
“Freedom,” I reply. “And soon, you will feel it too.”
13
Rainey
The swirling black void moves before me, the absence of color making it stand out from the dark walls surrounding me.
“Come closer,” it beckons me.
“Nearly there.”
“We love you.”
“Delaney is here.”
“Delaney?” I ask, latching onto the promise of seeing my sister again.
“Yes, Delaney is here, she awaits your arrival. Come see her. She needs you. She hurts without you.”
I swallow hard and take a step forward.
“Yes,” it purrs. “Nearly there.”
A face appears in the center. I choke on a sob as Delaney smiles at me. I can see her clear as day, just out of reach within the void. She reaches for me, pink fingernails bright against the stark black. She was always a rainbow of color in a dark world.
“Delaney?”
“Rainey! I’m so proud of you!” she says, her voice wrapping around me like a familiar blanket. “Let’s celebrate!”
“Where are you?”
Her face scrunches. “You don’t want to go out tonight?”
“That’s not what I said!” I yell back, tears streaming down my cheeks. I move closer, closer, until finally, I’m standing right before the swirling dark.
Delaney smiles and reaches for me. I take her hand, and she rips me into the abyss.
“Morning,” Elijah greets as soon as I step into the kitchen. He’s prepping coffee, but my body is so damned sore after last night I can barely move.
Should make work super fun today.
“How do you always know what I need?”
He grins over his shoulder. “That’s my secret.” Turning, he sets a mug on the counter. I lift it, a bemused smile crossing my lips. “Blood of my enemies?”
Shrugging, Elijah swallows his own drink of coffee. “Seemed like a perfect mug at the time.”
“I’d say it’s still perfect.” I drink deeply, letting the caffeine seep into my system. It’s nearing seven, which means my partner should be getting to the office within the hour. “I need to get going, I want to beat Ramirez there so I can get a jump start on the paperwork. He’s been covering quite a bit for me lately, so I want to return the favor.”
“Sounds good. Even if I’m not a fan of you leaving.”
He crosses the floor to me and takes the mug from my hands, setting it beside his on the counter and wrapping both arms around my waist.
I link mine around the back of his neck. “How about when we finally stop whatever war may or may not be coming, and figure out who’s trying to kill me—or rip me into the other side—we take a nice, long vacation and just have sex for a solid month.”
“Make it two months, and I think that sounds like a damn fine plan.”
“Two months? I may not be able to walk after that.”
He chuckles and runs his lips down the side of my face, his breath hot on my ear. “You won’t need to.”
I shiver. “Then two months it is.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” he growls against my ear.
“Sometimes I have those.” After turning my head and planting a quick kiss on his lips, I push away and take another drink from my coffee. “Now, before you convince me not to go in, I need to leave.”
Elijah’s answering grin is full of mischief. “I suppose.”
“You’ll call me if you find anything out about the box?” I set the coffee down and grab the keys to my bike off the counter.
“Yes.”
“Great.” I yawn, rolling my shoulders and groaning when they pop, giving me some relief from the stiffness.
“You okay?”
“Sore. Last night kicked my ass. And I’m not just talking about the actual ass-kicking.” I wink and walk through the door and toward my bike.
The drive goes quickly, and soon I’m walking through the door to the precinct. I smile when I see Ramirez’s seat empty, but that smile quickly fades when I meet the gaze of my captain, who waves me into her office through the giant windows she uses to gaze out over us.
Awesome way to start the day. Getting my ass chewed by the captain.
“Morning,” I greet, stepping inside.
“Shut the door,” she orders. I obey, closing it softly and turning to face her. “We need to have a discussion that’s long overdue.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
Captain Reynolds takes a seat behind her desk and gestures to one of the leather chairs directly across from her. Cautiously, I walk over and sit, placing both palms on my knees.
Trust does not come easily to me, and considering the way she’s looking at me? It’s putting me more on edge than when I first met Elijah, which is saying something. “What is it?”
“I need to know that what we’re about to discuss will not leave this room. You can’t tell anyone—especially Ramirez.”
Weird. “Okay.”
She takes a deep breath and lets it out before placing both hands in front of her and leaning into her desk. “I know what you are,” she says, her tone low.
Fuck. My stomach drops, but I don’t let her see visible proof of my nerves. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Hunter. It does not suit you.”
My fingers itch to grab the blade tucked in my boot. I don’t get a supernatural read from her—but I didn’t from Elijah at first either. Maybe she shares the ability to slow her heart rate just as he does.
“I’m not a threat to you.”
“Easy for you to say,” I retort. “What are you?”
“Human. Though I have a vast amount of knowledge about the supernatural world.”
“How?”
“I’m married to a shifter.”
I gape at her, jaw dropping in complete surprise. She could have just told me she was married to Santa Clause, and I wouldn’t have been this surprised. My captain is married to a shifter? A shifter? “How did I not know this?”
She scoffs. “Why do you think I never bring him around here? The one time he came into the precinct after you were promoted to detective, he made you as a hunter. Ever since, he’s steered relatively clear, given your kind’s general distaste for other supernaturals.”
“I don’t understand. Why are you telling me this now?”
She purses her lips. “Because there’s a bit of a situation concerning you that can’t be handled as a regular police matter might.”
“And that is?”
“The bounty on your head.” When I don’t immediately respond, she continues. “I’m assuming you already knew about that?”
“I did.”
“And I’m guessing the vampire you’ve been spending time with is the one who told you?”
“How exactly do you know about Elijah?”
“Word travels fast amongst supernaturals, Detective Astor. Especially when it involves a hunter who didn’t kill a vampire, if you catch my drift.”
I do, but I don’t say a damn thing.
“You two are at the top of the Immortal Council’s wanted list. Though he’s a capture—you’re a kill. They have ordered all supernaturals to engage on sight. My mate’s pack leader ordered his people to stand down. They are not to come after you.”
“Wasn’t that nice of him,” I retort, fear climbing up my back like ice. If the council is sending all supernaturals after us—will we ever be safe?
“He doesn’t want a war with you or with any hunter for that matter. But the vampires? Other shifter packs? They are not so concerned with blood loss.”
“Tell me abo
ut it. They’ve tried to kill me five times already.” Six if you count last night’s shifter/witch group. “Though I think once, they were after Elijah, and I just so happened to be there.”
She lifts an eyebrow. “Five times? I thought it was just the two?”
I shake my head. Since I’m not entirely sure how she could use this information against me, I figure I might as well be honest. I’ll offer information as long as she does. “The crime scene outside that club bordering No Man’s Land? The four vampires? That was me. They jumped me when I followed a single female vampire outside. Then, there was the shooting near the trailer, the car bomb, the rooftop attack, and the bastards nearly succeeded in the alley across the street from my apartment. Oh, and I can’t forget the attack in my parking garage yesterday. So I guess my math was off—that makes it six.” Seven total. Though I have no intention of bringing Eira’s place into the count. She seems skittish, and the last thing I want to do is get her in trouble if the captain can’t be trusted.
“Shit, Rainey. Do you know how many strings I had to pull to cover up that club attack?”
“I didn’t.”
“A female vic with a stomach full of blood? The M.E. had a field day with that one. Next time, you need to call in the cleaners.”
“I just learned about them, so I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”
I can see her disapproval, but there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. Yes, I am a hunter who was poorly filled in on the workings of this world. I get it. She gets it. I’m working to learn it now.
“Is there any particular reason you’re giving me this lecture?”
“There is, actually. The pack leader wants to meet with you. He believes he might have some information that could be of value.”
“What information would that be?”
She shrugs and shakes her head. “Not for me to tell you.”
“And how exactly do I know that this isn’t a trap? That they won’t rip my throat out the second they get a chance?”
“Bring your vampire.” Her suggestion is toneless as though she’s no longer interested in this conversation. I’m, however, reeling.
Blood Captive: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (Vampire Huntress Chronicles Book 2) Page 11