by Martha Woods
I take the few steps toward him. I know what happens when he loses control. James Roberts was ripped to shreds when Vincent lost control after James tried to rape me. I almost died when Vincent lost control, his hunger getting the best of him.
“I’m proud of you,” I say. “I know what you could have done, wanted to do. That you let him live for me means a lot.”
Vincent pulls me into his arms.
“Are you…hugging me?” I ask against his muscular chest.
“Yes. Is that not an appropriate display of relief that you live?” he asks.
“No, no, it’s appropriate,” I say. “It’s just…weird. Out of you. You’re not really a hugging kind of guy.”
“Amy,” Faye says. “I need you here.”
I wander back over. “What can I do?”
“You’re going to be our conduit,” Faye says. “You and Damon are deeply emotionally connected. He remembered you when you went to him at the Sisters. We believe we can unbind him by tapping into your connection to one another.”
I nod. “Okay. What do I need to do?”
They have me take Damon’s hands. He flinches when I do, as if I burn him. His eyes are still black and sweat rolls down his forehead. He growls at me through his gag.
The other two women place hands on me and begin to chant. The sound is rich and powerful and as they get to the third time through, the lights flicker off. A swell of power surges through me, images of my life with Damon at the forefront of my thoughts, as if they are being pulled from my body by some invisible force.
The chanting gets louder, almost as if there are more than two voices in the room. The floor rumbles beneath us. The windows bow as if they will explode.
Just when I feel like I might be ripped in two and swallowed into an abyss, it all stops and Damon blinks, his eyes green once more. He looks around, confused, and then sees me, bandaged so heavily, and begins to sob.
I unbind him and pull him to me, not caring that it hurts like hell. We fall to the floor in an embrace as this big, strong Hunter sobs like a baby.
Faye says, “Amy, we have things to discuss.”
“Tomorrow,” I say. “I have information, but I need time with Damon now.”
She and Alexis let themselves out. As Damon works through his realization of what has happened, I look up and meet Vincent’s gaze. There is relief there, and hunger. There is also something else that I cannot name. Perhaps jealousy. Perhaps something else entirely.
Thank you, I send to him mentally.
The coven would like to see you, Amy, he sends back. They believe that you need training to fully unlock your abilities. They would like to help you.
This is not the time, I respond. And what would they ask in return?
There is always a price, he sends back. Always. Never forget that.
There is a lot that I wish I could ask Vincent. I would like to know if vampires can feel love. If they feel emotion at all, the way humans feel emotion. Did it mean anything to him when I said I thought I loved him? Did it mean anything that I was willing to die to save him?
Vincent is incredible in bed, hunger and list and war all intertwining to create an experience that makes it easy to see why people find themselves in thrall to the vampires. It is heady and addictive. But it is not real connection, and while I believe that Vincent is attached to me somehow, I do not know in what way, or why. And I am not, at the moment, willing to risk Damon to figure it out.
I send him a mental thank you and he nods, leaving on foot, out the door, like a human.
Somehow, I manage to get Damon off the floor and toward the bathroom. I run a bath and we both climb in. He is numb and vacant for a long time as we sit, almost until the water is cold.
Finally, he says, “I nearly killed you.”
I suck my lips in and then nod. “It wasn’t you, though, not really.”
He lets out a sound of grief. “I am so, so sorry, Amy. Here I am doing all of these things to try to protect you, to keep you safe, and it was me who did this to you.”
“It was a witch,” I say. “Someone intent on killing women to gather power. He or she – I’m not sure which – wants to create stronger witch-spawn so they can take down all of the other supernatural creatures.”
“Still, I…” his voice breaks.
I reach across and take his hands. “It’s not your fault.”
“The wounds…Amy...”
“It’s okay,” I say, “Alexis healed me. I’ll be fine, for the most part.”
“What does that mean?” he asks.
“I means I’ll live, but I may not be able to have children. The wounds were aimed at my abdomen. They were the same in all of the victims. I am starting to believe that these sacrifices are two-fold, the woman’s life but also her ability to procreate. I just don’t know how it works. I really need to tap into my abilities as a Witch to better understand it.”
Damon looks at me, horrified. I realize I am going into “forensic investigator mode,” when he is just trying to process the fact that I’ve said I might not be able to have children.
“Damon,” I say, reaching out to touch his face, “It’s no big deal. I never really saw myself as a mother. Not really. This is the least of my worries right now, and it might not be an issue.”
He opens his mouth but then shuts it again with a snap, his jaw twitching angrily. We don’t say anything for a few more minutes.
When the water goes cold, I coax Damon from the bath, and to the bedroom. I’m still in pain but I need to be close to him. But as I begin kissing him, he pushes me away.
“I can’t kiss you, Amy,” he says. “I don’t deserve it.”
I force him back onto the bed, crawling on top of him awkwardly but with determination. I lean in and put my lips on his chest. I reach down and stroke his sex. It hardens at my touch and I work my hand back and forth along his length as I kiss and lick at his hard, sculpted chest.
“I need you to know that I love you, Damon,” I say, my voice cracking and unsteady as the emotion overtakes me. “I love you. I know you’re trying to process this, but this is why I came back early from my run. I needed you to know that no matter what else happens, I love you. This is real between us, and I don’t want to lose it.”
“Amy, no,” he says, his voice pained. “Don’t try to use sex to distract me from what I’ve done.”
I can’t take no for an answer. I need him to feel what I feel. I slip onto him, sheathing him inside of me. Moving slowly at first, I hold his hands, eventually moving them to my breasts. I meet his eyes, trying to show him with all of my being that this love is real, that it is tougher than what the supernatural world can throw at us. We have already proven that.
Damon breathes my name as I ride him, his hands big on my modest breasts, his calloused fingers rough against my hard nipples. We are so connected right now, as I move against him. I don’t even care about the pain in my abdomen, but he obviously does, because he gently flips me to my back. He touches my face and kisses my lips before he enters me again. His thrusts are gentle as we stare into each others’ eyes, so many unspoken thoughts between us.
I’m too battered to find my release, but it doesn’t matter. I needed this. I needed to be close to him, to have him inside of me, to let him know that we are still okay. And when I feel him shudder with orgasm, I want to pull him close, to hold him and never let go.
But he pushes me away. He isn’t rough, be he is firm as he withdraws and rolls over. He sits up, his feet hitting the floor as he stands in a fluid, decisive moment.
“I love you Amy, but I can’t do this.”
I watch as he dresses and pulls together a bag of his belongings. All of his weapons. Much of his clothing.
He looks at me from the doorway to our bedroom. I can feel the pain and guilt he is feeling from the look on his face. “I can’t do this Amy. I’m supposed to protect you. Look at what I did to you. I can’t be the source of your pain. You will never know how sorry I a
m for what I’ve done to you. If I can’t control myself, how can I guarantee your safety. I think the best thing for you is for me to get as far away as possible from you. I need to go back to the brotherhood. Back to Hunting. Unattached.”
I can’t tell if he actually means what he is saying or if he is trying to make me hate him. “What…what are you saying?”
He opens his mouth, closes it, sighs heavily. “I’ll try to do what I can to help catch this rogue witch. Until I hunt her down, I need to stay as far away from you as possible.”
“Damon, this is crazy,” I say. “Don’t go.”
“I love you,” he says, shouldering his bag. “Goodbye.”
I wait and wait, cold and naked, and he doesn’t return.
* * *
I call his cell the next day and find it disconnected.
The weight of loss feels heavy as I return to work. I try to act normal, try to redouble my efforts on the case, knowing I am getting closer to the answers that I seek.
If I can find this rogue witch, maybe I can head off a war between the supernatural creatures of the world. Maybe I can save lives.
Maybe I can convince Damon to come back.
I have never imagined myself as a woman with a husband and two children and a white picket fence. It is simply not something I have wanted or needed in my life. And while I do not imagine that is something Damon ever imagined for himself as Hunter, I admit that I never asked him what he wanted.
I never asked him if leaving the Hunter brotherhood was his way of saying he wanted those things. It never occurred to me that the possibility of not being able to have children might hurt him in some way. It makes me realize that this lack of normalcy between us has stopped us from getting to know each other as real people.
This makes me incredibly sad, for some reason. This feels like real loss to me, and I wasn’t prepared for it.
All the more reason to crack this case and get him back.
Bonus Book 1
The Alpha’s Return
Martha Woods
© 2017 Martha Woods
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All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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For permissions contact: [email protected]
Chapter 1
The darkness was his friend, keeping him hidden from sight as he sprinted through the woods. Gigantic paws hit the ground with thuds, muffled by the soil. The wind brushed against his thick, gray fur. He felt free. This was the only time he felt this way, running in the night in his wolf form. At times like this, he could temporarily forget about his responsibilities and simply be a part of nature; a part of the night. Smaller animals scurried to their hiding places, avoiding the huge predator zipping through the forest.
The wolf inhaled long and deep as it ran. Liam smiled within as the fresh air filled his lungs. This was what he had missed about Boulder Junction: the acres of forest, the freedom to run wild, and the fresh air. Other than that, he wouldn’t mind never seeing the place again. It was where he had grown up and the place that he had finally escaped when he was old enough. Family duty had forced him to return and it seemed there was no escape this time.
Liam came to a stop in front of a river. He stood still for a few minutes, resting on his haunches as he stared out across the dark water. He always enjoyed the peace and quiet of the forest at night. The only sounds audible were the sounds of nature. His ears perked up when he heard something that didn’t quite fit in with the natural sounds. Footsteps, hushed by dirt and leaves, approached him. The feeling of danger coursed through him, sending him on high alert. More than likely, it wasn’t someone merely out for a night stroll. Not at midnight and certainly not in these woods. He sniffed the air, catching a whiff of an unfamiliar scent.
A low growl rumbled in his chest as he got up and padded back into the safety of the bushes. He didn’t want any trouble and he really didn’t want to kill anyone so soon after arriving back home. Liam let out a sigh. So much for a peaceful night run, he thought.
He treaded lightly, careful not to make a sound. All he had to do was make it back home undetected. Stealthily, he moved through the woods, listening for any sign of his unwanted companion. There was silence. Had the person turned back? With any luck, whoever it was had taken caution and turned back. But he still couldn’t shake the feeling of danger. His sense radar was always on point. But it was just a human, right?
Stories of werewolf hunters that he had heard of as a child suddenly flooded his mind. It was the eeriness of his current situation that brought on the foolish memory. He had always thought hunters were nothing more than myths because he had never seen one. Plenty of stories about other wolves’ experiences were heard - which had to have been exaggerated, he was sure. Wolf shifters were powerful, cunning creatures. There was no way a single human with a sword could take one down. And that was always how the story of the hunter went: a human, wielding a sword, taking out a wolf three times his size. Ridiculous.
The farther Liam walked into the forest, the more he should have felt at ease. He was sure he had put a good distance between him and whoever had been approaching from the other side of the river, but he still felt like he was being watched. His golden eyes surveyed the surrounding area. There was no one or anything in sight. His moderate pace then turned into a full out run.
Then he heard the footsteps again. They were approaching him at a rapid pace, going almost as fast as he was. So whoever was in the woods with him wasn’t human and it definitely wasn’t a fellow wolf. For a second, he considered stopping to confront whoever – whatever – followed him. It could be a vampire on the prowl. But they were rare in this area. They avoided small towns.
If he stopped then he could have a midnight snack. His wolf loved the idea of fresh meat, but Liam shoved down the craving. He was sure he could outrun his pursuer. Suddenly, something whizzed past his head.
What the hell?
He looked ahead to see an arrow lodged in a tree. His eyes widened. Was he being hunted? Could it possibly be the hunter of legend on his tail? It was hard to believe but he wasn’t taking any chances. He decided not to lead whoever it was to where he lived. Liam knew the forest like the back of his hand and he used that to his advantage, making sudden twists and turns and confusing trails of paw prints. Hopefully he would lose whoever it was. He moved tirelessly until the footsteps could no longer be heard. He smiled, knowing there was no way his mystery stalker could keep up, even if it was a hunter.
Liam closed his eyes, held his muzzle up, and inhaled deeply. The scent had disappeared and there was once again silence. He waited a few minutes before heading back in the direction he had come from. The tree that the arrow had lodged in came into view. He went closer to study it. There were strange markings along the wood, markings unfamiliar to him. He had to get it home. Maybe his housekeeper could tell him what they meant. The woman loved strange things like ancient languages and artifacts. She was a bit peculiar but if she didn’t bother him, he wouldn’t bother her. Plus, she was one hell of a cook.
Liam used his teeth to pull the arrow from the tree trunk. He was surprised to see that the tip was made of silver. His blood ran cold. The arrow was meant to kill him. If it had hit him, he could have kept running. Unless it had lodged in his heart… then he would have been a goner. Did someone know who he was or was it just coincidence that someone attacked his first night home?
* * *
Cayden walked toward his truck, wearing a deep scowl. He slid inside and threw his bow down on the passenger’s se
at and slammed his palms against the steering wheel with aggravation. He had the abomination in his sight but he lost him deep in the forest. He needed to get better at the hunting these things if he was ever going to find the beast that killed his father. He pulled up the sword strapped to his thigh and ran his fingers over the curved blade. He stared down at it with reverence. It was the weapon that had been in his family for generations.
Pain and anger ripped through him. He wouldn’t be holding the blade if his father was still alive. He let out a breath that he had been holding tight in his chest. He didn’t want this life, the life a hunter. His father had always shielded him from the strange world he was meant to be a part of until he couldn’t hide him anymore. Cayden had a curious nature and had wondered about his father’s strange behavior, all the secrecy and lies that had driven his mother off.
One night he had decided to follow his father to see where he went almost every night. Now though, he really wished he hadn’t. Hidden in the bushes, watching his father, confusion had muddled his mind. The only rational explanation to why his father was lurking in the woods with an arsenal of weapons was that he had to be hunting wild animals. Then something had jumped out of the bushes. It was a man with red eyes and abnormally sharp teeth. To his amazement and absolute terror, the man had transformed into a beast right before his eyes‒ a wolf-like creature, only much bigger.
A teenage Cayden had watched, transfixed and too afraid to move as his father battled with the creature and ended the fight by the taking the beast’s head off with the same blade he held now. That night had changed his life forever and pulled him into a world of darkness and death. His father had known all along that he had followed him into the woods. He figured it was time for Cayden to know the truth about his family lineage. Imagine his shock when he discovered that he came from a long line of hunters. Throughout history, his kind traveled around the world maintaining order and protecting humans from all magic and supernatural creatures. That explained his father’s sporadic, long absences.