“I’m pretty sure this isn’t what Lucius had in mind when he sent us here.” Jax joked.
Ayden shrugged. “Him and Zaaren can kiss my ass. If helping the local clan and killing Karina is the only way to get us out of the states safely, then so be it.”
“I didn’t want to get mixed back up with the local clan.” Jax sighed and paused in his pacing as he heard a car approach the driveway. He relaxed when he saw three figures in the car. She was safe.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met the local clan.” Ayden shrugged. “I’m an independent hunter, the supernatural tend to avoid me. I’m a Keeper, so I tend to keep my distance from vampires that might be in an alliance with the Circle.”
Jax snorted. “Trust me, shifter clans tend to be about as complicated as vampires.” He tried not to rush to the door when the handle turned. Kassity stepped in and met his gaze. She gave him a small nod to let him know she was not harmed. He smiled and held his hand out to her. She’d need comfort for her beast and he needed to touch her.
She calmly walked to him and took his offered hand.
His dad cleared his throat. “You brought a human with you.”
Ayden held his hand out. “Ayden Blackwin.”
“You’re not welcome here.”
“Too bad,” Jax said. “He’s part of the reason we are here. So he stays. He can be an asset in our situation.”
His mother gave a dramatic sigh. “Shall we all adjourn to the dinning room for dinner then?” She walked past the group and into a hall.
His father and Ayden followed. Jax pulled Kassity back before she could follow. “You’re okay?”
“Other than my beast refusing to rise when I needed it, I’m fine. Sarah scratched my shoulder when she pinned me down, but that’ll heal quickly. You on the other hand...” She growled. “You are putting Lucius’ territory in danger. If the Circle catches wind of us killing Karina then they are within their rights to punish him.”
Jax pressed his lips together and nodded. “I know, but I wasn’t just going to leave you with her. Kassity, she’s a monster that I don’t want near my mate.” He swallowed. “If I do this, I can take my rightful place as the head of the clan.”
“I thought you didn’t want a clan.” Kass narrowed her eyes. “I thought you said Lucius’ people were our clan.”
“And they are, right now, but I was thinking while you were gone. What if it’s best for us to stay here? We can start a family of our own, run the clan with Karina gone.”
“And how long until another vampire steps in in her place? What about Lucius, he’d never let us go.”
“He would if we allied with him from over here. Him and Zaaren will need allies all over the world if this war escalates anymore.” He touched her cheek. “Just think about it.”
Kassity nodded. “I will, but I don’t know anything about Clans.”
“We can teach you.” Lee’s voice cut through. “Your clan was ripped from you and all you know is some demented version of family. Jaxon’s plan is a smart one. You take over the clan and ally with Lucius. We all know his is one of the strongest territories in the States. Everyone would benefit.”
Jax saw Kass’ brows draw together. He kissed her cheek. “Let’s focus on the vampire at hand first. She needs to be taken out in order for any of this to work.”
“Of course.” She walked out and Jax looked at his Father.
“Can we teach her the control she needs?”
His father grinned. “I think you can. I can see a difference in her the moment she lays eyes on you. She’s less tense, she struggles less. If you do this there’s no looking back, no running away. Are you sure this is what you want?”
He wanted Kassity to be free and safe. The only way they could do that is if he took over the clan. “Yes.”
“Good. Now, let’s plot how to kill a vampire.”
Kassity walked into the kitchen with a heavy heart. The desire to support Jax tried to take over her fear of trying to leave Lucius. No one would follow an out of control leader. Jax may have control, but his constant worry about her and her panther would hinder his ability to lead. And if she couldn’t control herself, how could she bring a child into the world of shifters?
“A Hunter.” Anne Marie stated. “So that’s why Jaxon brought you along.”
Ayden nodded. “If you want to avoid war with the Circle or any vampires, it’s best that I deal the final blow.”
Kassity nodded. “The less of this that gets connected to Lucius’ territory, the better. The less that gets back to your clan about this the better too. We don’t want Karina thinking you set this up, because if we fail she’ll be coming after you first.”
“How cute that you’re concerned with us.” Anne Marie smiled. “You just worry about killing the blood sucker. If you fail, you aren’t going to be returning to your precious vampire.”
Kass took a deep breath. “I’ve killed my fair share of blood suckers, shifters and humans. I think I can handle it. Especially with the backup I have.” Going in as a team would be the one advantage they have. “I felt Karina’s power, she’s strong, but just barely stronger than Lucius.”
“Then we attack tonight. I don’t want to wait.” Jax stated as he walked in.
She turned to him and wondered what he was thinking. Originally the idea was to get home as soon as they could, but with his new desire to return to his true home she wasn’t sure what he was thinking.
Ayden nodded. “Tonight would be best.”
“Tonight it is then.” Kass echoed.
“Eat first, you will all need your strength.” Anne Maria motioned to the table of food. “Tomorrow night we’ll celebrate.”
Ayden shook his head. “Tomorrow night, we are going to the States.”
Jax met Kass’ gaze and she looked down as she started to dish food onto her plate. Uncertainty curled in her and her panther started to pace at the feeling of it. Dread filled her at the thought of taking on a vampire, one who had a clan of panthers under her control.
Jax put a hand on her arm. “I love you.” He whispered and it warmed her.
“I love you too,” was all she could bring herself to say. She knew that because of love she’d choose to stay here.
***
They’d pulled to the side of the road halfway to the manor. The plan was Jax and Kassity would shift and Ayden would follow with his small arsenal of weapons. Jax would take care of the other panthers and Kassity would distract Karina long enough for Ayden to land a killing blow. That was if all went accordingly.
They trotted towards the manor, sticking to the shadows with Ayden right behind them. Kassity sniffed the air and caught the scent of at least ten different panthers, one of them being Sarah. She tried to push any sense of family out of her mind. This was just another mission. Kill the vampire and get home.
She spotted an open window on a balcony. A tree nearby would be a perfect launching point. Her tail flickered as she prepared to run. She dashed out across the courtyard with Ayden close behind her. No one came to greet them, no shouts of surprise, and no attack panthers. She counted herself lucky as she launched herself up from the ground and into the tree, landing on a branch. Jax sat at the bottom and she knew he’d follow her.
After letting her weight settle and listening for any predators she jumped to the balcony. Adrenaline pumped through her as her paws crossed the floor. Her human mind started to slip as she smelt blood. Animal blood. Her panther instinct started to take over. There was a meal nearby and she wanted it. Kass paused in her approach, trying to gain control over her panther. Jax landed behind her and nudged her.
His touch brought back most of her human thinking. The two followed the scent side by side and found a group of five panthers eating a deer in the middle of a ballroom. Nearby were five dead panthers in human form.
Memories came back and hit Kassity hard. She snarled and found Karina sitting in a throne watching the victors enjoy the spoils. The panther took over and she l
aunched herself at the vampire. She heard the other panthers snarl, but she knew Jaxon would take care of them.
Karina jumped away from Kass before she landed. Her paws hit the back of the throne and knocked it over. Kassity stalked around the chair, her body low and ready to pounce. She moved closer to the vampire who grabbed a spear out of a vase of them and laughed.
“Come, kitty, I can’t control you, which means you have immortal blood. Sarah already told me that, but I didn’t believe her. She’s strong, that one. If your father had just trained her right she could have taken over a clan of her own.”
Kassity growled in response. She didn’t care right now. All she wanted was the vampire dead. Another panther leapt in her path and Kassity knew it was Sarah. Her human mind swam to the surface for a moment. She didn’t want to hurt Sarah, why hadn’t Jaxon kept her away?
Sarah jumped and Kass met her mid-air and knocked her down. Biting at her neck to warn her but Sarah swiped a claw over Kass’ face. She snarled and backed up. Sarah flipped Kass over, pinning her to the ground. Jaxon t-boned Sarah, knocking her off of Kass.
Kass jumped back to her feet and set her eyes on the vampire. She could hear Jax and Sarah fighting, but her focus was the creature who was controlling her sister. Karina gave a sly smile.
“So you aren’t above fighting your own sister. You’re more panther than human right now. I can sense that about you, but you know there’s one thing neither side will be able to handle.” She turned and threw the spear. Kass tried to get it before it struck Jason in the side. He toppled down and panic seized Kassity. Her heart shattered and he turned back into a human , the spear still lodged in his stomach.
She shifted without willing herself and ran to him. “Jaxon, no.” She begged and examined his body.
He gasped. “Silver.” He reached a bloody hand up to her and she couldn’t stop the tears. Her hands hovered over the spear before she gritted her teeth and pulled it out of him.
His body arched and he cried out. She put her hand over the wound to try and stop the blood flow but it wasn’t helping. She heard a snarl near her and turned just in time to see Sarah pounce. A bullet struck her in the side and she fell away from Kass.
Kass met Ayden’s gaze and gave him a brief nod. Jaxon’s hand touched her arm.
“I’m sorry Kass, I couldn’t stop her.”
Kass shook her head. “No, I should have attacked sooner, I should have let the beast take over. Don’t you dare think this is your fault.”
“I love you.” His hand slid down her arm and she bowed over his body.
“Don’t, you will not die on me. Jaxon, please.” She begged and pressed on the wound. His heart stilled under her. Her soul cried out as grief swept over her. Cursing every deity she knew, she tried to call on her beast so she could run. She couldn’t face this. The only good thing in her life just died in front of her.
Nothing happened when she called for it. The stupid cat was betraying her. She sobbed and pain wracked her body. Something warm spread through Jax and she jumped back with a gasp. A black tribal mark moved over his heart. She blinked as he gasped for breath.
She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe just in case she was dreaming. He touched the wound on his stomach and groaned. “Oh my God, that hurts.”
“Your mark!” She cried and hugged him. “Your immortal mark appeared.”
He touched his chest and then looked at her. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close. “So it has.” He pulled back and touched the top of her chest. “Look.”
She looked down and her eyes grew wide. “That’s my mark. Holy shit.”
“I hate to break up this love fest, and don’t get me wrong, Jax I’m glad a spear to the stomach didn’t kill you.” Ayden stepped up. “But Karina disappeared the moment Kassity went to you.”
Kass swallowed and dread sank in her stomach. She turned to see Sarah dead on the ground. She looked to Ayden who bowed his head. “I had no choice. You were distracted by grief. She would have killed you.”
She knew he was right. Karina would have killed Sarah for failing anyway, and without the vampire’s help, Sarah wouldn’t have had control. “Thank you for saving my life.”
“Of course, but we still have that little problem. The panthers that were all here are dead thanks to either Jax or Karina.”
“I didn’t have a choice. We all knew how it would be.” Jax cringed. “This needs to be patched up so it can heal. It hurts like a bitch.”
Ayden nodded. “Let’s get back, get Nuala and get everyone home.”
“Home.” Kassity nodded. They would have a lot to answer too and now that they knew what Karina had done with all of the panthers, there was no clan for Jaxon to claim. “I’m sorry, Jax.”
“Just not meant to be. Let’s go home. I’m sure we’ll have a lot to answer to when get there.”
She chuckled. “Oh Lucius is just going to love this.”
***
“Both of you.” Lucius stated after they showed him their marks. “After all this time, near death, no control, your family, and the one thing to make it appear is Jaxon dying.”
Kassity nodded and tried not to grin. “Yeah, apparently his took him dying.”
“Well, this will come in handy.” Lucius sighed. “Zaaren and Mae got the detective off our ass about you. So it’s safe for you to stay in the country, for now.”
Kass nodded. “And Karina?” She hadn’t told him what she’d learned about the vampire while she was out there. Somehow she felt that he didn’t need to know at this point.
“We’ll deal with the consequences of that later.” He grinned at the two. “Now I have two more Immortals on my side. It strengthens the territory and I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.”
Author’s Note
Into the Night is what I would consider the prequel to the DWC: Hunters series that will be released probably 2016. This is where DWC originally began, long before The Touch of Night and In the Light of the Moon. Isadora stars in an unpublished book titled The Taste of Blood, which is also where Zaaren first appeared. A lot has changed since I’ve written that book, but it will be altered, polished and published as part of the Hunter series. Enjoy! –A.L. Kessler
Into the Night
DWC: Hunters #0.5
She pulled the sword out of the vampire’s stomach and blood dripped to the ground. The creature merely growled at her, the wound doing nothing but pissing him off. Isadora backpedaled and tried to prepare for an attack. At ten years old, there wasn’t much she could do against a vampire unless she could find a gun. Her eyes flickered to the body lying on the ground a few feet away from the vampire. Grief spread through her at the idea that her mother wasn’t moving. Would never get up. Would never work with her again. Both her parents gone and taken out by this monster.
The vampire rushed her and she jumped to her mother’s side, discarding the sword and searching for the extra handgun she knew her mother carried. Her hand wrapped around the handle and she jumped up. Aiming, then firing eight rounds— four in his chest, four in his head and the thing collapsed to the ground. Isadora couldn’t breath past the panic and the scream that were building up in her throat. Her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground.
Her father had taught her to hold everything together until the danger was gone. Now that the last vampire ceased to move, she could break down. Tears streamed down her face and her hand shook as she put the gun next to her. No normal ten year old should have gone through this. She had no clue what to do now.
Isadora had no idea how long she sat in the dirt crying and screaming. From the time she could hold a weapon she’d been taught to fight and destroy vampires. Any of them who crossed her path and anyone working for them, and now they’d taken the only family she had away from her. Her dad’s cell phone went off and she looked towards his body. Crumpled on the ground, his jacket spread around him, his gun just out of reach and blood gathered around him.
She needed to answer
that call. Living out in the country, there wasn’t anywhere she could go and she had no idea who to call for help. With a deep breath she pulled herself off the ground and rushed to the phone. Cringing, she searched through her father’s jacket and pulled out the phone. She found the green answer button and pressed it.
“H-hello?”
“Izzy? Why are you answering Jack’s phone?”
“They’re dead, the...the vampires attacked.” She said, hoping she didn’t sound crazy. “They killed my mom and dad.” Her voice hitched as more tears came.
He cursed. “Get in the house, lock the door and get the shotgun.”
“Who is this?” She ran to the house. Only a few hours of daylight remained, but the man was right, inside was safer.
“Michael Dunox. You can trust me Izzy, I’ll be there soon.”
The phone went dead in her hand and she stepped into the house. Locked the door and got the shotgun.
***
Joey ran a hand through his hair. Michael had called him to help with a special situation. The special situation was a ten-year-old girl named Isadora Sidel who currently sat on the tailgate of his pickup. A mere child had taken out a vampire with a handgun and he was sure adrenaline had something to do with it. He took a deep breath and let his mental shields slide down. This was why Michael brought him so that he could read the girl and take her to the Society. As soon as his mental shields came down he was bombarded with her inner thoughts and emotions.
They’re dead, oh my God they are dead. That bastard sent his vampires here. I can’t believe this. I can’t quit crying.
He could feel the grief rolling off her. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself and looked away from him.
Hunters, mom and dad told me about them. I don’t know who to trust.
Joey put his shields back in place and walked over to her. “You can trust us. We handle this type of thing all the time.”
“Vampire attacks.” She confirmed and met his gaze with her blue eyes. Her black hair was shoulder length, tangled from the ordeal. “They knew who we were and where to find us.”
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