The Hunter’s Protector (Death Hunters Book 3)

by Bryce Evans

  Lennox’s head whipped around so fast, it made her jump back. The fire in his eyes made her smile. Everyone in the room backed off as Ben let her mate down. He stalked toward her. She had the code to the apartment upstairs.

  “Why were you looking at him, mate?”

  “Are you jealous?” Jade questioned as she backed out the rear door.

  “Are you trying to make me mad? Because it seems like it, and we can’t have that.”

  “What do you plan to do then?” Jade asked, breathless as she punched the code into the upstairs apartment.

  “Let me show you.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Now, gentlemen, all I want is to buy some of this beautiful lady’s merchandise. If you want, you can stand over there because I see some great finds,” Calum said, picking up the candles.

  Ben motioned for the guards to stand back as Quinn brought him a bag to put what he wanted in them. “If you need any help, just let me know.”

  “Why thank you, pretty lady.” Calum winked then went back to sniffing the candles.

  Quinn walked over to where Ben stood. “Your mate is going to go ballistic.”

  “Speak of the devil,” Quinn said, smiling.

  They both turned as her mate’s truck slammed into park. He was out of the truck so fast he nearly ripped the door off the hinges trying to get inside the store. Once inside Arden scanned the store until his eyes settled on her. Then he saw the vampire holding one of her candles. She knew her mate enough that he wouldn’t attack; at least, she hoped he wouldn’t.

  The vampire never gave him a second glance knowing he was there but didn’t care. Arden walked over to her. “Where’s Lennox?”

  Ben smiled. “You didn’t say the vampire could project certain emotions onto you. He got to Jade and now Lennox is with his mate. So far, he hasn’t done anything except get rid of Lennox and to shop. He apparently likes things that smell good.”

  “I’m going to make a fortune on him too,” Quinn said, smiling.

  “You should have called me immediately when he got here,” Arden said, frowning at her.

  Putting her hands around his arm, Quinn licked the side of his neck. “Now, baby. I had everything under control. You knew he was coming, and that Lettie needs him. There’s a witch out there that none of us can see.” Quinn pointed at the vampire holding up a T-shirt and laughing at the saying. “That’s why we need him.”

  “What the hell is he looking at?” Arden asked, frowning.

  “My new shirts that say, Suck it up, Buttercup.” Quinn giggled. “I’m going to sell a ton of them.”

  “There’s Scarlett and the other witch. Let’s get him out of here before Lennox gets back and tries to kill him,” Ben said, shaking his head. They watched as he held the T-shirt up to himself in the mirror, laughing.

  “That will look marvelous on you. And it's your color,” Scarlett said, staring at Calum in the mirror.

  “Scarlett.” Calum held his hands open to her. “You look more beautiful every time I see you.”

  “And you are a liar. I’m getting old and you seem to never age. That is so unfair.”

  “I told you before that I could help you with that, but you seem to want to continue to get older and die. Why? There is so much to live for. Look at this shirt. I just love it. I will have every name marked off my Christmas list, just in this store alone. How much fun it will be when I see my family’s expression when they get their shirt.” He held the shirt up to her. “Suck it up, Buttercup. I will laugh for days. My uncle Maro will be the best one to give it to.”

  “Yeah, I think it's time we leave,” Scarlett said, looking around at how each of the shifters were staring and watching. They were all ready to pounce.

  “I take the one who is staring me down is your granddaughter’s mate?” Calum asked.

  “You always make friends wherever you go,” Scarlett shook her head.

  “Why? I’ve done nothing to them.”

  “You make them nervous. They think you want to bleed them dry.”

  “And I love their species. They shift and it's a wonderful gift they have. So what if I drink blood? I’m not hunting them, so they have nothing to worry about. Humans are more understanding than they are.”

  “Are you finished here?” Minerva asked, bored.

  “Minerva, as pleasant as ever. How are you?”

  “Well, I don’t want to die trying to stop the guards from tearing your limbs from your body. Plus, my back hurts.”

  “Hmm. I can help you with that if you want.”

  “No thanks. You’ve got nothing I want.”

  “What a pity,” Calum said, chuckling.

  Scarlett led him to where her granddaughter and mate were standing. “Where do you want to meet?”

  “Lennox wants to do it on his land. That’s where Greer is. She won’t leave Reed’s side until he is on his feet again.”

  “I’ll get Lennox. Scarlett, he can ride with you, and please tell him to keep his sniffing to himself. It makes us all nervous and I would hate to rip his head off for smelling my mate. We don’t want to get any wrong ideas,” Arden said, walking toward the back door to find Lennox and Jade.

  “I’m standing right here. Why do they do that? And such a pity too. His mate is so beautiful and look at her, all smiles.” Calum held his bag full of merchandise. “I will take all of these. And I’m not done yet. I have more children to buy for. I can’t wait to exchange gifts this year. I shall win the prize for the best present. I will spread the word about your store. Wonderful!”

  Great! Scarlet rolled her eyes and stood beside him as he paid with a black credit card. Figures, she thought. Rich, handsome, and very, very dangerous. She would keep that to herself. She needed him.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Greer paced the living room as Reed slept. This poison was a bad one. It was taking him longer to recover and his body needed rest to heal. She couldn’t believe she almost lost him. She had never felt something so strongly before. It hurt being away from him. He was in her thoughts all the time. Was that what love was?

  “If you don’t sit down, you’re going to walk a hole in the carpet,” Reed said, holding his hand out to her. “Come sit by me.”

  She took his hand into hers and kneeled beside him, holding his hand to her face. “Are you feeling better?”

  “Much better now that you are here, and I get to touch you. I’m just sorry this is taking away from our lessons and I had to stop building the treehouse. I wanted you to be in it soon. I don’t have much more to do and then I will do a reveal for you.”

  “We can do it all later. Right now, all that matters is you getting better and up walking again,” Greer said, kissing his hand.

  “Well...I can get up, Greer, I just like you being with me all the time. Plus, I can do this.” Reed grabbed her face and slipped his lips over hers. She couldn’t think straight as the fire inside her ignited again. His lips were so soft but demanding.

  “Hey, there. Oh, sorry to disturb you, but Scarlett is here with the vampire,” Haven said.

  Immediately, Reed pushed the covers away and stood.

  “Sit down,” Greer demanded as he swayed on his feet. She caught him by the shoulder holding him up.

  “I need to be up when the vampire walks in. He will think this is a sign of weakness. You never let a vampire see that, Greer.” She watched as Reed steadied himself.

  “At least stand beside the couch so you can hold yourself up. Maybe he shouldn’t be here, and this is a big mistake.” Nothing was weak about Reed. Not one part of him. This was something he couldn’t help. She got him into this.

  Haven stood beside Greer and Reed. They watched as hunters came into the room, first flanking the vampire from every direction. Scarlett and Minerva followed the man she called Calum. Immediately, he glanced in her direction. He sniffed the air and Reed started growling.

  “Calum, please,” Scarlett whispered.

  “But that smell is wonderf
ul.” Calum smiled as he came closer. “You look like your aunt Jean.”

  Her eyes widened as she started to move closer to the vampire before Reed stuck his arm out stopping her. “I mean you no harm. None of you.”

  “Don’t touch her.” Reed started shaking. She needed him to stay calm. She stood beside him and didn’t move. His eyes were blazing as he stared at the vampire.

  “Here, sit down,” Haven said, pointing at a chair next to the fire.

  “Thank you, sweet lady. It’s been a long trip. Why don’t we all sit and discuss the witch problem you are having.”

  “Lennox, do we need everyone in here? He’s not going to do anything. Trust me. He would never do that,” Scarlett said, sitting beside the vampire.

  Greer couldn’t put her finger on why, but she felt comfortable around him. He seemed very interested in her. His eyes continued to glance back at her. Reed’s growl started every time he looked in her direction.

  “You knew my aunt?”

  “Oh yes, very well, before you came to this country. We were good friends,” Calum said, frowning. “She never judged me. A beautiful woman and a true inspiration to me.”

  “That she was,” Greer agreed.

  “Now, Scarlett, tell me what is going on.” Calum crossed his legs and leaned toward her. He sat so still as she explained what had happened. Greer watched and wondered how he did that. Not one movement came from him. A flinch, a twitch, a blink of an eye, nothing as he listened. Vampires were such fascinating people and she had only heard stories about them. Her aunt said she knew some, but never said she was close to any of them. Why wouldn’t she have asked for his help if he was so powerful?

  He started smiling as she finished telling him what had happened. “Do you know of anyone who can do this?”

  “No. Do you?”

  “No, not now, at least. A long time ago, yes, but whoever it is has taken on a lot of power from other shifters. The way you described, the person is apparently looking to get more.” Calum leaned forward. “You see when they take another shifter’s power, they will always need more.” His eyes lit up as he explained. “It’s like a druggie needing another hit. They will need more and more. This town is a paradise to them. A pack on each side. Tons of powerful shifters to choose from.

  “Now you have the white bear here and she has power that nobody else has and she will be the heroine, the fix, the witch will crave. She will take out anyone who gets in her way. You see this is no ordinary witch. Whoever it is will know about the Death Hunters and what they can and can’t do. They will know how the packs react to any danger. I bet the witch has been watching you all for a while. All of you.”

  Lennox, Arden, and Ben glanced at each other. “How do we stop them?”

  “You catch her or him. It won't be easy, but it can be done. This witch is very familiar with each and every one of you. Nobody will be safe from her. Since she attacked Reed that means she wants to eliminate him from protecting the bear. This means she knows.”

  “Knows what?” Reed asked.

  “She knows that her mate will protect her at all cost,” Calum answered with a bit of edge in his voice.

  Reed glanced at Greer. The cat was out of the bag now with his fellow hunters. She grabbed his hand knowing he needed her strength. He released a deep breath as his hand gave hers a quick squeeze. She smiled back at him, but she was scared. All of this danger was brought on because of her.

  The rest of Reed’s life, he would spend trying to protect her. None of this was fair to him. She stared off into space thinking on what to do. Everyone she loved had been killed because of her. Aunt Jean and now him. If it hadn’t been for Scarlett and Minerva, he would probably be dead too. But if she left, the witch would leave too and follow her. Her mate would be safe.

  “Actually, Greer, he wouldn’t. You are not the only one this person wants. No shifter is safe with this witch. You can’t blame yourself and you definitely can’t leave,” Calum said, staring at her.

  Her mouth opened as she realized she hadn’t said any of that out loud. “How did you do that?”

  “It’s a talent of his,” Scarlett said.

  “I’m sorry, Greer, but I could read you immediately. You need to learn to put your shield up. I’m not the only one out there that can do this. The witch may be able to as well. We don’t know the extent of their power yet. There you go,” Calum said, smiling as she put her shield back. He was right; she had let her guard down since she got so comfortable here in New Hope. That was how the covens never knew where she was. Oh, now and then, she would lead them in a different direction, but she was too scared to do it much.

  “You are not leaving,” Reed said, grabbing her arm, pulling her into the kitchen. He staggered but she held onto his arm so he wouldn’t fall. “It’s not just you anymore. You’re not alone. You have me and Jade. She is your twin. She won’t survive without you if someone comes looking for her. Don’t you get it? I won’t survive without you. Now get that thought out of your brain.” He pushed his head against hers. “If you leave, then I will go with you. Are we leaving? Tell me and I will go pack, but you’re not going without me. Understand?”

  Tears fell down her face. This man was unbelievable, and she didn’t deserve him, but she loved him and knew she wouldn’t be able to give him up. And if truth be told, she wouldn’t survive without him either. “I’m sorry. I just thought if I left, you would be safe. Everyone would be safer.”

  “I would die of a broken heart, Greer. I know that without you, I would fade away. Together we are strong.” Reed leaned forward and inhaled her scent. “He was right. You do smell good enough to eat.” He winked as he placed his lips on hers then pulled back and held her gaze. “Are we staying or going?” When she didn’t say anything, he whispered, “Remember, together we are stronger.”

  Closing her eyes, she exhaled then smiled. “This is my home and if I don’t take a stand and fight for what I want then I will always be running. I’m taking a stand...with you.”

  “That’s my girl. Now let’s go see what the vampire has to say on how to catch this witch. I’m ready to finish up my girl’s new home.”

  She smiled because what he didn’t know was when this was over it would be Reed’s new home too. If she lived long enough to see it.

  Greer sat on the couch pulling him down beside her. They listened as the alphas and the vampire threw out suggestions on how to catch the witch. The consensus of the group was to set a trap. They figured that whoever it was worked alone, but they couldn’t be sure and would need to come up with something that could catch the witch and then find a way to get information on the others if there were any. But they felt like the witch worked alone because they didn’t want to share any of the magic.

  Arden glanced over at Reed and said, “If Greer was in a certain area—”

  “No!” Reed growled, standing. “She’s been the bait all her life. No more.”

  “Reed, listen. Sit down, baby.” Greer’s voice became softer. “If I don’t do this, they will always be after me. It’s time to end this, but I’m stronger now. With Scarlett and Minerva giving me different spells, I should be able to contain the witch until the trap works.”

  “But what if it doesn’t and you get caught in their trap. It’s not worth it.”

  “It is to me. You are worth it to me. If I’m going to stay here and make New Hope my home, then all of this has to be worth fighting for. When I was running with Aunt Jean, I...never knew that I would have a family and friends. I have that now. You are all worth the chance.”

  She knew she had Reed. He was worth dying for.

  He bowed his head and blew out a deep breath. “I will be there with you. If you go, then I go.”

  “This witch almost killed you already. She thinks you are down and out right now. Let’s keep her thinking this way. Greer will need to be alone or at least the witch thinks she is alone. Your kind can camouflage, can’t you? All of you know how to stay in one place without bei
ng seen, correct?” Calum asked.

  “Yes, we can,” Lennox said.

  Calum nodded. “Good, then before Greer even enters the woods your people will be in place. The witch is out there somewhere. Waiting for that time when she’s alone. Greer needs to be ready. Protection spells and a place to trap the witch.”

  “What would we need to hold the witch?” Arden asked.

  “Something that will contain the magic.”

  “My magic hole,” Greer answered, excited as she looked at Reed. “The hole you dug for me. If it can hold my magic and dissolve it, then it should hold the witch’s. I know it’s deep enough that she can’t get out.”

  “Great idea, Greer,” Scarlett said, clapping her hands. “Now we have a place to hold the magic. We have to lure the witch to that spot and we need to work on Greer’s powers now. Minerva, this is your specialty. We don’t need to do anything else out there for the witch to see.”

  “If she is keeping herself hidden all this time, she is using a lot of energy and will need more soon and the only way to do that is to kill a shifter and take their power. Like I said before, she will be like a druggie needing her next fix. I would suggest that all shifters go in pairs or more wherever they go and to stick together,” Calum added.

  “Cosmo, let everyone know this is an order from me. Nobody should take this witch as a joke or think they can defeat the witch on their own. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir.” Cosmo walked out the door.

  “If you are ready, dear, we can go into your bedroom and work on some things. Right now, it’s educational and nothing requires us to be outside yet,” Minerva said, smiling. Her smile made her feel uneasy, but she needed her help.

  “Before you begin, Minerva, may I speak to Greer alone?” Calum asked.

  “No!” Reed said, standing and growling at the vampire.