Hunter: Volume 1 (The Lillian Rayne Series) (4 page)

It
was a little after four in the morning when I walked in my uncle’s house. Kia
and Colin were at the base of the stairs. They were at the top of my list as
possible spies. Someone had told Aubrey about the challenge.

“Anything
interesting going on Rayne?” Kai asked obviously trying to be polite.

“A
few things,” I said quietly as I walked past them. I kept my distance and they
knew I was doing it intentionally. Colin appeared in front of me and my hand
went instinctively to my knife.

“I
am still you friend Rayne,” he said softly.

“And
I am still a hunter,” I countered and moved past him. He wasn’t the same man.
He couldn’t be. Vampirism changed people. It made them colder and less attached
to the things they loved. The bloodlust came first for many of them. I made it
to the top of the stairs and Luca was standing there.

“Did
you stay out of trouble?” he asked sounding a little amused.

“Don’t
worry, your half assed truce is still in effect.” I went to move past him and
he caught my arm. I looked up at him slightly annoyed that he was hindering me.

“Thank
you, Lily,” he said softly.

I
held his gaze and felt the butterflies erupt in my stomach. I wondered if he
felt the same thing or if it was just me. I didn’t like the feeling. I didn’t
want to ruin what Luca and I had. I pulled away. “Your welcome,” I muttered
then hurried to my room.

I
didn’t understand what had changed between Luca and me. I felt awkward and
nervous around him. I hated that feeling. I felt like a girl with a crush. I
didn’t want to have a crush on Luca. He was like family to me and I refused to
ruin that.

I
felt his soft lips press gently to mine. He broke the kiss and I opened my
eyes. I froze as I looked into his bright turquoise eyes. I felt like I
couldn’t breathe. His mouth was so close to mine; an amused smile played at his
lips. I considered reaching for the knife I kept under my pillow, but I knew he
would stop me. He pressed his lips to mine again. I remained rigid as he
encouraged me to kiss him. His kiss became deep and desperate, almost needy. He
broke the kiss again and smiled. I was breathless, and my cheeks were flushed;
I could feel it. “So there is a blushing girl under that cold exterior,” he
teased. Before I could speak he was suddenly gone. I could breathe again.

I
sat up straight in my bed and looked around. Aubrey wasn’t anywhere in the room.
I groaned and I ran my fingers through my hair. It was a dream. The curtains
dancing in the breeze caught my attention. I looked at the window; it was open,
I never left the window open. I quickly reached under my pillow for the knife.
I froze when I didn’t feel my knife. It was something else. I moved the pillow
and looked at a beautiful white lily. Maybe it wasn’t a dream. The thought
unnerved me as I touched the petals of the lily. I climbed out of bed and
quickly shut and locked the window. He was awful arrogant if he thought he
could come in my room without my permission.

I
looked at the clock. It was a little after nine. I had slept a while. It was
time for me to get up and do something. I had half a mind to go find Aubrey and
deck him for coming in my room. I didn’t like the fact that he got so close. I
was beginning to think I was letting my guard down. I needed to train, and that
was exactly what I planned to do.

I
thought about Aubrey’s kiss and it made me angrier. I punched the bag as hard
as I could. I was acting like a girl again and it was irritating. I couldn’t
let a stupid kiss blind me. He was a vampire. He was a killer, and a monster.

The
alarm went off and fear coursed through me. I hadn’t heard that sound in a long
time. It meant something was wrong. I ran from the training room down the
stairs to my uncle’s office. I burst in without knocking. My uncle, aunt, Luca,
Kai, and Colin were surrounding Damon and Penny. They were both beat up and
bloody.

“What
is going on?” I asked starting to get worried.

“Vampires
jumped us. They took Tanner,” Damon said through gritted teeth. He was
obviously in pain.

I
could see the fear in my aunt and uncles eyes. “I will go after them,” I said
then ran back toward the stairs. I could hear Luca on my heels, but I didn’t
care.

“What
are you going to do? More killing won’t help anything,” he argued as he
followed me into my room.

“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 was hoping 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 yanked
my jacket off and started removing my knives. He drug me to a nearby wall and
pinned me by my throat. My hands went to his. The female vampire grabbed one of
my hand 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 handy work.

I
was losing a lot of blood. Blood 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 looked 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 presents brought. He was their master like he 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 from him and looked up at him. “I’m fine,” I said in barely a
whisper. “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 like he was relieved 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, so 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 then 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 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.

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 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
is 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 anymore awkward between us.