“I am going to get Tanner back. I won’t attack if they don’t,” I growled, as I put my knives on. I grabbed my jacket and slipped it on. I went to leave and he caught my arm.
“How you handle this is crucial to the truce. Everyone loves Tanner, but we have to do this diplomatically.” He sounded like he was pleading with me.
I nodded. “I will do what I can.” I told him what he wanted to hear so he would let me leave. I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do. I knew where I was going, I just didn’t know what I was going to do once I got there.
I hurried back downstairs, and Luca followed. My aunt and uncle was waiting for me. “Don’t get yourself killed, Lillian,” my uncle said firmly.
“I will be fine. I am just going to talk to them,” I said quickly. I couldn’t handle their panicked looks, so I hurried out.
***
I was back in the alley I met Aubrey in. I walked to the door of the bar he had suggested the previous night. I took a deep breath, and opened the door. I stepped inside and looked around. The place was dimly lit, and all the patrons looked up at the newcomer. They were all vampires.
“What do you want here, hunter?” one of the males growled as he approached me.
I raised my hands to show I had no weapons. “I am looking for Aubrey,” I said quickly.
He looked a little startled, then looked at a female vampire. “He is unavailable,” she said, watching me.
“There was some type of confrontation between the vampires and the hunters. They took my cousin. It is important that I speak with him.” I hoped that if I was persistent they would get Aubrey.
“She said he is unavailable,” the male vampire growled, stepping toward me.
“I don’t want to fight,” I said softly.
“Good; that will make it easier for me,” he growled, then punched me across the face, sending me into the door.
Pain shot through my head, but I slowly regained my footing. I hated it, but I couldn’t fight. I had to prove I was here to get Tanner back, not to start a war. “Please, I just…” I started, but he punched me again, this time in the gut.
I fell to the floor, and he started kicking me. Another vampire joined in. I fought every urge in my body to fight back. I knew I couldn’t, even if it meant dying. If I fought, it would give them an excuse to kill Tanner. Blood poured from my nose and mouth as the male yanked me to my feet by my hair. They stripped my jacket off and started removing my knives. He dragged me to a nearby wall and pinned me by my throat. My hands went to his. The female vampire grabbed one of my hands and pinned it to the wall. I screamed in agony as she drove one of my daggers through my palm and into the wall, so I was pinned. She did the same to my other hand, and the pain was excruciating. The male looked pleased with himself as he stepped away from me and looked at his handiwork.
I was losing a lot of blood. It ran from the wounds in my palms and from my nose and mouth. “I haven’t fought. What more do you want?” I asked, through gritted teeth.
He played with one of my stakes and smiled. “I want you to die,” he growled, as he pressed the stake to my chest just above my heart. He slowly applied pressure. I moaned in pain as I gritted my teeth. He was slowly pushing the stake through my chest. He was going to torture me. I couldn’t do anything. My hands were impaled, and I was doing all I could to hold my weight up.
The vampire was suddenly ripped away from, me and relief washed over me when I saw Aubrey. “Aubrey,” I whispered in relief. He appeared horrified as he looked me over.
He rushed over to me and supported my weight as he pulled the first dagger out of my hand. I cried in pain and collapsed against him as he removed the second dagger. “What are you animals!” he growled angrily.
I could feel the fear his presence brought. He was their master, like he’d said. “We thought you would be happy. She is a hunter. She kills us; they just killed Devin and Mike!” the male vampire that started the whole thing argued.
“She had nothing to do with that, and she offered no resistance. You will pay for this, Gerard,” Aubrey snapped.
I pulled away and looked up at him. “I’m fine,” I said, barely whispering. “My cousin, Tanner. I came here for him. He was taken in the fight. I will take his place. Please,” I begged.
Aubrey looked down at me, and I could see the worry in his eyes. I was getting dizzy, but I wasn’t giving in until I found Tanner. He looked at the female vampire, who wasn’t standing far from us. “Get the boy,” he ordered. “Come, let me help you,” he said softly as he lifted me. I normally would have argued, but I was too weak. He carried me to the back of the bar and down a set of stairs. The place opened up into a huge underground house. He walked to a bathroom and set me on the counter. I sagged against the mirror as he wet towels. “You should have fought back. I wouldn’t have faulted you,” he said quietly, as he wrapped each of my hands.
“I was asked not to start a fight. I just came to talk to you. I don’t know what happened, but I know Tanner wasn’t a part of it. I know him; he isn’t a fighter.” I was still pleading with him. I didn’t want him to hurt Tanner.
“Hunters attacked and killed two vampires. The boy that was caught fell behind the others. I will release him to you, but understand, you are in debt to me,” he said, watching me.
“Thank you,” I whispered, relieved.
He started wiping my face, then cussed. “There is so much blood. You are still bleeding. Will you take my blood?” he asked, watching me.
I shook my head. Vampire blood had healing powers, but it was forbidden for hunters to accept it. I would have to make it home and let one of the healers treat me. “I just need to get home.”
“You are so stubborn,” he muttered, as he attempted to clean me up some more.
Tanner was led in the bathroom, and relief flooded me. “Tanner,” I said, worried. He didn’t look too bad. He was a little roughed up, but nothing serious.
“Rayne,” he said, as he rushed over to me. He hugged me, relieved that I came.
“Help me. We need to get home. Your parents are worried,” I said through gritted teeth as I slid off the counter.
He slung my arm over his shoulder. “You look like shit. How did they win?” he asked, sounding slightly amused.
“She let them, for you. Remember that,” Aubrey growled.
Tanner reddened and looked down at his feet. “Thank you again,” I said softly to Aubrey.
He nodded. “I will see you to the alley,” he said, and walked out ahead of us.
We followed, and I was relieved once we were away from the place. I made it about a half mile from the compound before I collapsed. Tanner lowered me to the ground. “What do I do?” he asked, panicked.
“Go get help. I’ll be fine,” I promised him. I knew I was dying, and he wouldn’t be able to get help in time, but I didn’t want him to know that. I would rather him think he was helping than let him watch me die.
He didn’t look like he wanted to leave me, but he didn’t have a choice. “I’ll be back. I promise,” he said softly, then ran down the alley toward my uncle’s house.
I closed my eyes. I could feel my heart starting to slow. My hands burned and ached where my wounds were. This was not how I’d planned to go out.
I felt someone lift my upper body into their lap. I opened my eyes. I was looking into Aubrey’s turquoise eyes.
“I won’t let you die like this. I gave you a chance to get home, and you couldn’t,” he said, then bit his wrist. I attempted to pull away, but he held me still. He pressed his wrist to my lips. His blood was sweet and thick. As soon as it hit my lips the pain dissipated. He pulled his wrist away and laid me back on the ground. He smiled and brushed my hair out of my face. “They will be here soon,” he whispered softly; then he was gone. I closed my eyes, and everything went black.
Chapter 6
I woke up with a start. Someone shifted next to me. I looked over at Luca. He was asleep, with his arm slung over me. I
looked at my hands. There weren’t even scars where the wounds had been. Aubrey’s blood had healed me.
“You’re awake,” Luca said softly, as he propped himself up on his elbow.
“Is Tanner ok?” I asked, worried.
He nodded. “It was you we were worried about.”
“I am fine,” I said as I sat up. “How long have I been out?”
“One night. How did you get them to let Tanner go?” he asked as he sat up.
“It’s a long story,” I said quietly. “What is going on with the truce?”
“It’s stalled. Aubrey is pissed. There is some question about who attacked first,” he said, as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“What do you think?” I asked as I watched him.
He shrugged. “I think we have a long way to go.”
“I’m going to shower. I’ll be down in a little bit,” I said quietly.
“You aren’t going to tell me, are you?” he asked softly.
I looked at him, not sure what to say. I didn’t know what to tell. I wasn’t sure what I should and shouldn’t say. “There is nothing to tell,” I muttered, then walked into the bathroom before it got any more awkward between us.
***
I couldn’t stop thinking about Aubrey. His actions were so confusing. Any normal vampire master would have loved to see a hunter torn to pieces. I touched my palms at the thought. I shuddered at the memory, then turned the water off. I stepped out of the water and wrapped a towel around my body, then stepped out of the bathroom and froze.
Aubrey smiled at me. He was sitting on the edge of my bed. “You look much better,” he said, amused.
I walked to my door and locked it, then turned and looked at him. “What are you doing here?” I asked nervously.
A smiled played at his lips. “You owe me your life and your cousin’s life. I came to collect.”
I stiffened. “I asked you not to give me your blood, so you chose to save my life. I do, however, owe you for my cousin’s life. What do you want?”
He smiled. “Hunter’s blood is a delicacy for us.”
I watched him for a minute. He wanted to feed on me. I wasn’t sure if I could handle that. It just wasn’t done. “You do understand what you are asking me, don’t you?” I asked angrily.
He stood and moved toward me. “The same that you asked of me when I gave you back a hunter accused of killing my kind. Do not think you are the only one that has sacrificed beliefs here, Lillian.”
I looked away. He was right. I had to give him what he wanted. He’d given me what I wanted. I moved my hair to one side of my neck and looked at him. He smiled and stepped forward. I gasped when he lifted me into his arms. He laid me onto the bed, then climbed over me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as he sunk his fangs into my neck. He couldn’t cloud my mind without my permission, so it wasn’t pleasurable. Suddenly, I felt him force his way into my mind. He was too strong for me to hold him off. Pleasure crashed over me, and a moan of pleasure escaped my lips. I tried to fight it, but it only made the pleasure intensify. I didn’t want it to feel good. If it felt good, I would want it to happen again.
He sat up, licking his lips. His eyes were closed; he was savoring the taste of my blood. Something about the way he looked made me want to kiss him. I grasped the collar of his shirt, startling him. I pulled him to me and pressed my lips to his. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. He kissed me hungrily, and I enjoyed every second of his mouth on mine. There was a loud knock on the door, and it broke the trance I was in. I looked at Aubrey, panting. He was watching me, his expression hard for me to read. He suddenly disappeared, and I sat up.
“What?” I asked, trying not to sound too annoyed.
“It’s Colin. I need to talk to you, Rayne,” he said, from the other side.
“Let me get dressed,” I said quickly as I got to my feet. I quickly dressed and looked in the mirror. I cursed; the bite was visible. I fixed my hair so it fell over the bite. It would at least hide it temporarily. I walked to the door and opened it.
Colin stepped past me without even asking for an invitation. “What are you doing in here?” he asked, looking around.
“Nothing,” I said a little breathlessly. “What’s up?”
He looked at me like he didn’t believe me. “I was checking on you, and I want to know which vampire you took blood from.”
“How do you know I took blood from a vampire?” I asked haughtily.
“I heard what happened at Luminescence last night. You can’t fool me,” he growled.
“I wasn’t trying to fool you, but it is none of your business what I do,” I countered.
“You have to be careful. There are some vampires that are out to hurt the hunters. Until we get Aubrey on our side, we have to avoid contact with them as much as possible,” he said firmly.
“Have you even met Aubrey?” I asked, watching him. I was trying to figure out why it mattered to him anyway. I also wanted to know if he knew what Aubrey looked like. I still wasn’t positive Aubrey was the real master vampire he claimed.
“No hunter has. He is too careful. I think you should stay in for the next couple nights - especially after last night,” he said quietly.
“I was planning on it, unless something happens that requires me to leave,” I said, agreeing so he wouldn’t keep bugging me.
“I’ll leave you alone, then,” he said as he watched me. He turned to walk out, and I felt a little bad.
“Colin,” I said quickly, and he turned and looked at me.
“Yes?” he asked, watching me.
“Thank you for all you have done. I know you are doing it to help,” I said nervously.
He smiled. “I’ll see you downstairs. They are having a little get together,” he said, then walked out.
I relaxed once he was gone. I didn’t really want to go downstairs, but I was beginning to think I needed to get involved in the politics of my people. I had ignored it for too long, and now was one of the most vital times.
I dressed in a pair of nice leather pants, boots, and a dark blue corset that went well with my eyes. I kept my hair down to cover the bite on my neck. It annoyed me a little, that I even had a bite, and it was a disgrace. I pushed the feeling aside and walked downstairs.
There were several people in the main room. Some of them I knew, others I didn’t. I was nervous in the crowd. I didn’t get along well with people. I stood off to the side and just watched. I spotted Luca. He was standing with a woman. She was laughing and touching his arm. It irritated me. I didn’t want to say I was jealous, but I was starting to think I was.
He looked up and smiled when he saw me. He took the woman by her hand and led her over to me. “Hey Lily, this is Kate. She wanted to meet you,” Luca said, smiling.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” she said, smiling nervously.
I smiled stiffly. “It’s nice to meet you.” I hated social situations; I always felt so awkward and stiff.
“Kate actually helped arrange the first meetings between Colin, Kai, and the hunters. She is really involved in making peace. She has been trying to contact Aubrey,” he said, sounding pretty proud of her.
His tone was grating on my nerves. I could tell he liked her. It was rare for him to like women, and I wasn’t sure I liked it. Before I could speak, the room silenced. I looked where everyone else was looking.
Aubrey was standing in the center of the room. He’d just appeared out of nowhere. He smiled at me. I moved to go to him, but Luca caught my arm. “Don’t start a fight,” he warned.
I rolled my eyes. “I know him,” I muttered, and shrugged Luca off. He looked a little startled, but didn’t comment. I didn’t make a point to know vampires. Most of the time, if I crossed them, I killed them.
“What are you doing here?” I asked once I got close to him.
“I like your hair down, and you don’t look very friendly,” he teased as he tugged on a strand of my hair.
??
?And you do?” I asked skeptically.
He smiled his best smile. “I am very friendly. Your people keep inviting me over, so I figured I would come see what the big deal is,” he said as he looked around.
“It’s not as impressive as I make it seem,” I said, amused.
He looked at me, and I could see the amusement glinting in his eyes. “You’re cute,” he teased.
“Lillian, are you going to tell us who your friend is?” my uncle asked, as he approached cautiously.
“Ooh, I have been upgraded to friend,” Aubrey said, chuckling.
“No, you haven’t,” I countered, as I turned toward my uncle. “This is Aubrey. At least he says he is. He tends to have an active imagination,” I said dryly.
“Such a good friend,” Aubrey teased as he stepped up beside me and put his arm around my shoulders. He squeezed me gently, then extended his hand to my uncle. “It’s a pleasure.”
My uncle seemed confused as he looked from me to Aubrey. He shook Aubrey’s hand, then looked at Kai and Colin for help. “We are glad you are giving us a chance to offer a truce,” Kai said, quickly stepping forward.
Aubrey smiled at me, then looked back at them. “There were certain factors that have recently come into play.”
I caught Luca’s gaze. He was actually scowling at me as though I’d done something wrong. It wasn’t like he was out running around with Kate. It didn’t really matter anyway. We were just friends.
“If you would join us in my office we could go over the details of the truce,” my uncle said nervously. He looked as confused as the others.
“Give me just one moment. I need a word with Rayne,” Aubrey said, with the same pleasant smile. He walked off toward a more secluded part of the room.
I rolled my eyes and followed. “What is it?” I asked, once I reached him.
“Who are the half-breed and the vampire?” he asked, stepping closer to me.
“Kai is the half-breed, and Colin is the vampire. Why?” I asked, confused.
“No reason. Are you sleeping with the master hunter? He seems to be a little annoyed with my presence.”
I scowled. “That is none of your business. Now quit being difficult and sign the truce.”
He raised his eyebrows in amusement. “You want me to sign it, now? If that happens you won’t have your chance to kill me.”