The Hunter’s Protector (Death Hunters Book 3)

by Bryce Evans

“You can stand outside the door if you wish, but her aunt told me something I think might help her.”

  “No, no!” Reed yelled.

  “Reed, stop. I know you’re worried but if Jean wanted me to know this then I need to hear it. I need to hear it. For me. I won’t let him hurt me. Nobody here will. Trust me.”

  “You have five minutes, vampire.”

  “Why do you all have to be so touchy. Have I done anything to any of you?” Calum said, looking around at them.

  “Trust is earned,” Scarlett said.

  “Then this shall be the first test.” Calum offered his hand.

  Greer looked at her mate, waiting for him to answer. She noted the fight in him as he struggled to give her this moment. He nodded, and she took the vampire’s hand. They walked to her bedroom and she stood to the side in case she had to shift or cast a spell at him. But for some reason, she knew Calum could be trusted.

  “You trust me? Good. I don’t give this out to just anyone, but your aunt could see the future sometimes. I guess you know that, but sometimes she only saw pieces. Like a puzzle, she would have to piece it together when the visions came. But we were together one time and she told me about you and how you would be coming to America soon and she would have to take care of you.” She watched as Calum walked around the room thinking. “She made me promise to tell you this.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “What’s he saying?” Minerva asked.

  “I don’t know. I can’t hear them. Why wouldn’t I be able to hear him, I can hear her but not him,” Reed said, gritting his teeth.

  Before he could walk in, the door opened and Calum walked out. “She’s waiting on you, Minerva.”

  Reed slipped inside. “Are you okay?”

  Smiling, she went to her mate and hugged him. “I’m fine. I needed to hear how she spoke of me. She loved me.”

  Holding her tightly, Reed whispered, “Of course, she did. There is so much to love about you.”

  They stood in silence holding each other. She loved this man and he always calmed her. His scent and the fact that he was hers would help her get through this.

  “Are you ready?” Minerva asked. She didn’t want the witch’s help, but they needed all the help they could get. Reed flinched, but he knew she needed to train.

  “Sure.”

  “Good. Reed you can stand outside. She will concentrate better if it’s just her and me. She has a lot to work on.”

  Greer pulled away first. She hated to, but Minerva was right, she needed to practice. “See you in a bit.” Then she surprised him and kissed him hard on the mouth.

  “Come on or we will never get done.” Minerva’s voice was scratchy and annoying, but she pulled away from her mate.

  “I’ll be right out there if you need me.” Reed pointed to the hallway.

  “Good.” Greer sighed and took another step away from him.

  She watched as Reed walked to the door. Before he closed it, he winked at her.

  “He’s a keeper,” Minerva said, smiling when she turned to face her. That was the only thing the woman said that she believed, but right now, she had no evidence that she was anything but a friend.

  “Ready?” Minerva asked.

  Greer nodded.

  Throughout the day, Minerva taught her spell after spell. She even knew that she could fly. Scarlett wasn’t great at keeping secrets apparently. Yes, she was mad. She was so angry that she wanted to end this with the witch. She wanted normal for a change. Whatever that was.

  “I need a break.” Greer didn’t give Minerva time to speak, she marched over to the door and jerked it open. Her mate leaned against the wall.

  “You okay?” he asked coming to her side. Looking into the bedroom, he stared at Minerva.

  “I need some air. I can’t take it in here anymore. I want to go outside,” Greer said. She started walking to the back door.

  “What are you doing?” Lennox asked. He was sitting at the kitchen table with Ben and Arden. Calum and Scarlett were at the stove cooking something.

  “Outside,” Greer muttered. Her arms started itching and shaking. “I need to release some magic.” Her voice shook as she leaned her head against the door.

  “Greer, it’s okay, baby. Take a deep breath and let it out.” Reed wrapped his hands around her.

  “If she goes outside the witch will see her,” Lennox said, standing.

  “I need...need to go and release this. I can’t control it much longer...Please.” Greer panted as she struggled to stay in control.

  Lennox took out his phone and started talking, “All right. Everyone shift and get into place. Greer has to go outside. Keep your eyes open. The witch could be out there.” He glanced at Reed and pointed at him. “You need to stay here. The witch doesn’t know that you are okay. We need to keep her in the dark as much as possible.”

  “I’m not staying here when my mate is out there unprotected,” Reed said, standing up to his alpha. This was going to get ugly really quickly if she didn’t stop Reed.

  She turned and stared into his eyes. “Reed, I’ve got so much magic inside me right now, if the witch is out there and she tries anything,” Greer swallowed hard trying to stay in control, “I doubt anything will happen.”

  “I don’t like this, Greer. Something doesn’t feel right,” Reed said, rubbing his chest.

  “Reed…”

  “Okay, go, but keep your shield up,” Reed said, closing his eyes as she walked out.

  Once outside, she took in a deep breath. Turning, she stared at Lennox. He nodded and that was all she needed. Greer took off running toward the hole Reed dug for her. She could feel her arms growing warmer as she ran as fast as she could.

  This time it felt different. The magic had a purpose. She couldn’t worry about that right now. Falling in front of the hole, Greer held her hands out and released it. This time, the magic had a blue tint as it hovered around and around going deeper like water swirling down a drain. Except it came back up and went back inside her.

  She took a deep breath and started to lean back when the air crackled around her. Then the breath was jerked out of her as her hands were bound to her sides. Before she could even flick a spell out, her body flew backward crashing through the trees.

  Her body felt each cut and break as she slammed against trunk after trunk falling down the mountainside. She tried to stay conscious, but the pain was making her slip under. Then she about lost her lunch as her body rolled down the ravine at the mountain’s base. She screamed but it caught in her throat. She thought it would never end when she was thrown into an open field. Her body rolled until it finally came to a stop against some rocks.

  Reed’s words echoed in her head. Something doesn’t feel right. Now she knew why. The witch needed to get him away from her. She never even felt the magic until it was too late. Was this it for her?

  “No!” she yelled out as the witch materialized. She had never seen this woman, but her cape was deep purple. Only the Old Ones had those.

  “I see you realize that I’m an Old One. More powerful than you, white bear.” Her eyes grew wilder as she stared at her. “I’ve waited a long time to finally stand before you. The notorious white bear. You were blessed with so much magic and look at you. Your mate is a shifter. You will taint your bloodline. Don’t you see, your blood is the purest of our kind coming from the old country and both of your parents are pure blood, but what did you do with it? Nothing,” the witch spit out.

  “I came so close to getting my hands on you when you destroyed my coven.” The witch’s voice trembled with barely controlled fury. Her black magic spilled out surrounding her.

  “Who are you?” Greer demanded.

  The mage laughed. “I’m dead.”

  Greer needed to keep the witch talking. She had released most of her magic and she would need it now. “Dead?”

  “Yes, they all think I’m dead. But it will be me that will rule the paranormal world. It will be me who they bow down to. I wi
ll be looked at as a god. The council has ruled us into the ground. Witches going underground from fear of practicing the dark arts. Not anymore. I waited and waited for my time to rise, and it was fate that you came to New Hope. I knew then I had to strike and now. I just need your power.” The witch laughed throwing her hands in the air as she added, “The other one will be easy to get. She’s too…undisciplined.”

  Staggering to her feet, Greer yelled, “You touch her, and I will kill you.”

  “Aww, so sweet, but remember who has the upper hand here, child. I’ve waited for this perfect moment—after you’d released your magic. Now you have none left and if you do, it’s no match to mine.” The witch threw out her hands. Greer knew the words but didn’t have time to block the spell. Immediately, she felt the magic strike, slamming her body backward into the rocks. The sound of the crack from her ribs hitting something sharp made the air rush out of her. Trying to breathe, blood flew out of her mouth. She tried to get up, but her legs gave out and she sank to the ground. She tried to take in a deep breath, but it hurt too bad. The witch was too powerful.

  Glancing up, she saw rocks flying toward her, before she could block, they hit her hard in the chest flipping her backward against the side of the mountain. “That’s for my sister. You killed her. You killed them all.” The witch’s face was distorted as she paced in front of her. “All you had to do was give them the magic. But no, you had to kill them. My sister was young, and you destroyed that.”

  “Give them my magic? You’re crazy.” Greer laughed but felt the slap of magic slash across her face as the witch shot out another spell. She could barely speak as she tried to lift herself from the ground. That’s when she heard the growl. She closed her eyes knowing her mate had made it down the mountain.

  “No, Reed. Please, just leave. Please,” Greer whispered. She couldn’t let him die.

  “You will pay before I take your magic. You will suffer like they did before you locked them in that room and threw the fire in. She suffered. Nothing was left.”

  Greer listened as the witch’s babble turned incomprehensible.

  Reed rubbed against her trying to get her to move, never taking his eyes from the witch. Blood dripped into her mouth. Spitting it out, she remembered what Calum said, the spell her aunt Jean wanted her to know. He said she would know when to use it. But she had to catch the witch off guard.

  “Greer.” She looked up and saw Jade, Quinn, and Calum coming down the mountain into the field. Fear coursed through her. Oh no, no, she saw the look in the witch’s eyes. She wanted Jade too. She would kill Jade for what Greer’s magic did to her sister.

  Before she could tell them to run, the witch cast her hands out flipping Jade backward onto the rocky ground. She heard the crunch of bones as her twin landed hard. Her magic pounded inside her wanting out, but what happened next made her heart stop. Reed jumped in front of her, stopping the Old One’s spell from reaching her. She screamed as the witch hit him with her magic, slinging him into the water. Reed’s wolf went under.

  “No,” she yelled. “You evil bitch!” Anger and fear spiked straight through her as she talked to her magic. “Now, it’s my turn. Burn her.” Greer lifted a hand, giving the magic fire. Like a missile, the flame hit the witch’s robe, devouring the material as it made its way up.

  “No.” The witch pounded on the blaze, but she was fast stripping the robe away, throwing it to the ground.

  The witch’s face scrunched up and her anger spewed out toward Greer as spell after spell hit her straight on, weakening her and knocking her farther from her friends. To her surprise, she noted Quinn and Calum in unison casting spells at the Old One. Jade remained on the ground. The witch turned, focusing on them as Greer offered little resistance at this point.

  Greer heard her mate coming back for more, and the packs raced down the mountain. The witch would kill them all, and she couldn’t let that happen. “No more.”

  This was the moment. The words Calum gave her came out of her mouth so easily. Words she had never heard in her life. Jean had never taught her this spell. When she finished the chant, the witch’s old magic poured out of her, swirled around Greer, then dropped into her chest, pushing Greer to the grass.

  Her mate pulled her up, holding her. He was wet, but he looked wonderful. “Are you okay? Please, tell me you’re okay. It’s my fault. I should have never—”

  “Shhh, it’s okay. I’m okay or I will be once I heal. It’s not your fault. Now, quit it,” Greer said, placing her fingers over his mouth. She gasped when he held her tighter. “My ribs are broken.”

  The witch screamed in pain, shot down while aiming her non-existent power toward the mountain. Scarlett and Minerva came to a stop in front of the witch trying to pull herself up from the ground.

  “Natalie?” they said in unison.

  “You’re the witch? But you’re dead,” Scarlett muttered.

  “Do I look dead to you?” the witch screamed, throwing her hands toward the Old Ones. Scarlett and Minerva ducked but no power came for them. “What did you do?” Frustrated she screamed and tried another spell again but like before no power came out.

  Jade shifted and leaped through the air, landing on top of the witch. The witch screamed in pain as her wolf ripped into her. After a moment, Lennox pulled Jade off, reaching down and grabbing her wolf around her middle and pulling her away. He held her until she calmed enough and shifted. Her body was covered with blood as her mate picked her up.

  Simone glanced at them and shrugged. “It’s the quiet and nice ones that are the most vicious.”

  Before Lennox walked off, he looked back at the witch. “Scarlett, burn the rest of her.”

  Greer ached so badly. Every breath she took was excruciating. “Can I pick you up?” Reed asked, but she was too tired to answer. All she wanted was to forget about this and make the pain go away.

  Slowly, Reed lowered onto his haunches in front of her. “I’m going to lift you. It’s going to hurt, baby, but I’ve got to get you out of here.” All she could do was nod. He picked her up, and pain shot through her like someone stuck a pitch fork straight in her ribs. Her screams had everyone stopping.

  Reed stopped moving. “I’m sorry, baby.”

  “Please don’t move me. Please,” she cried out.

  “I can ease her pain until we get her to the house.” Calum stood in front of her. She didn’t care what he did if the pain stopped.

  “No. I’m not letting you bite her,” Reed growled.

  “I’m not going to bite her. She needs to take some of my blood. It won’t turn her, but it will heal her enough and allow you to lift her.”

  “Let him, Reed. It’s not going to hurt her. His blood has healing abilities,” Scarlett said, kneeling beside her.

  “Do it,” Reed said, gritting his teeth.

  “Greer, did you hear that? I can heal you enough to let Reed carry you back home.”

  “Yessss. Hurry, it’s hurting,” Greer gritted her teeth as tears ran down her face. She couldn’t breathe. Reed was by her side as Calum cut his wrist.

  “Open your mouth, Greer.” Calum wiped the tear off her cheek.

  She couldn’t move but Reed helped by holding her head, allowing the blood to drip down into her mouth. She didn’t care what he did. She swallowed as the blood fell onto her tongue.

  “There now. You will start to feel better. Close your eyes.” Calum’s voice was so smooth, easing the pain. She smiled as her eyes started to close.

  “She’s been asleep for five days. Why isn’t she waking up?” She heard the fear in her mate’s voice.

  “Her body has been through hell and it’s healing. She’s okay, Reed. Just give her some time,” Scarlett whispered.

  She tried again and this time her eyes slowly opened. Her throat felt like she swallowed a handful of glass. “Greer. Thank you, Lord. Thank you.”

  She patted the side of his head as he leaned forward. “Miss me?”

  “More than eating,” Reed said,
smiling.

  Greer chuckled, but grabbed the side of her chest. “Then you missed me a lot.”

  “Don’t talk, baby. I’m sorry you’re in such pain. I should have never let you go.” Reed shook his head, looking away.

  “Like you had a choice. And if you hadn’t, it might have gone on and on. She’s gone now. But I should have been there protecting you and I wasn’t.”

  Pointing at her heart, Greer smiled and croaked out, “You were there with me.”

  Reed took a deep breath and grabbed her hand, kissing it. “I don’t know how I got so lucky getting a bad ass for a mate.”

  “I’m the lucky one.”

  “We both are.”

  “My treehouse?”

  Reed lowered his head. “I’ve been here with you. I couldn’t work on it until I knew you were okay. I don’t have much more to do.”

  “Go finish. I’m fine. I just need to rest. I’m ready to sleep under the stars.”

  “I’m only going because you asked me to, but you are not to get up and I will bring your food to you. Agree to this, Greer, or I’m not leaving you.”

  “Okay. Cross my heart and if I do then stick a needle in my eye. I think that’s how it goes,” Greer said.

  Reed laughed so hard that he almost fell in to the floor. “Did Cosmo teach you that?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Figures.” Reed got up, kissing her on the head. “Now rest. I’ll be back.”

  Reed walked out as Scarlett and Jade walked in. Jade smiled and rushed to her side. “I knew you would be okay. I could feel it.”

  “I’m good. Just sore and tired.”

  “After today, you need to get up and the soreness will start to ease up.” Scarlett sat beside her.

  “You have questions?” Greer asked the witch.

  “Yes, but I wanted to ask you in private. Greer, how did you defeat Natalie? Her magic was strong, and she’s had years of experience.”

  “Aunt Jean helped me.”

  “But, dear, Jean is dead,” Scarlett said confused.

  “She is, but she still lives in here.” Greer pointed to her chest.