Hunter: Volume 1 (The Lillian Rayne Series) (6 page)

I
stood outside my uncle’s door. I knew everyone was waiting for me to return. I
would have loved to go in and give them the news they wanted to hear, but I
didn’t have it. I took a deep breath and opened the door. As I suspected
everyone was waiting for me.

“What
happened?” Luca asked coming toward me.

“He
won’t agree to the truce, but he doesn’t want to fight. I don’t know what else
can be done,” I said softly.

“Why
won’t he agree? Our terms are not that demanding,” Kate asked looking a little
upset.

“Look,
I don’t know. Just keep the hunters at bay until he decides to sign,” I said
quietly. I walked toward the stairs hoping to get away from them.

“Lillian
you have to help us convince him. He has obviously developed a relationship
with you,” my uncle said firmly.

I
groaned in annoyance and looked at him. “There is no relationship. He is a
botched hunting attempt,” I growled.

“You
tried to kill him?” Luca said angrily.

“Before
I knew about the truce. It was the night Tanner found me. Aubrey was the
vampire I was fighting. It was all a big fucking mistake,” I muttered as I
started up the stairs.

“He
likes you Rayne, you can use that to our advantage,” Colin said as I passed
him.

I
hesitated and looked at him. “I don’t want to mislead him anymore then I
already have. I can’t have a relationship with a vampire.” I didn’t know why I
felt bad saying it to Colin. It felt like I was being cruel; but it was how I
felt. He didn’t speak so I continued up the stairs.

I
considered going to my room, but I couldn’t stand the thought of just sitting
around with my thoughts. I decided to go to the training room.

Punching
the bag always helped me focus. I had so many thoughts running through my mind
it was overwhelming. I didn’t understand why I even cared about the truce. I
really didn’t understand why I was even thinking about Aubrey as much as I was.
There was no way I could take a relationship with him seriously. I didn’t see
how he could take one with me seriously; it was ridiculous.

“That
bag would be in serious trouble if it were a person,” my uncle said smiling as
he walked into the room.

“Maybe,”
I said as I hit the bag again. I really didn’t feel like one of my uncle’s
talks, but I knew he wasn’t going to give me a choice.

He
took a seat on a bench not far from me. “You could help us make this truce
happen Lillian. I don’t know what your relationship is with Aubrey, but he
likes you and you could use that as an advantage.”

I
glanced at him; then quickly looked back at my target. “Maybe, but I don’t want
to pretend I am ok with being friends with vampires because I’m not.”

He
sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. “Lillian things are changing. Power
is shifting. We can no longer fight them. We have to come to an agreement with
them.”

I
scowled and faced him. “Why? Why can’t it stay how it has been for years? It
doesn’t make any sense.”

“The
war has to stop at some point. We have to evolve past this Lillian. We can all
live together in peace. Your parents wanted this as much as I do,” he said
softly.

I
felt rage burning just below the surface when he mentioned my parents. “My
parents are dead because they were stupid enough to walk around with your
ideals. I refuse to be as blind as they were.” I turned and stormed out of the
room. I was so angry I was shaking. I didn’t understand how he could act like
everything would be fine once there was a truce. The truth was it wouldn’t be.
Vampires couldn’t be trusted, not even vampires that seemed different like
Aubrey. He wasn’t different he was just better at hiding his true self.

I
laid in bed looking at the ceiling. I was tossing a ball and catching it. I had
been trying to sleep for the past three hours, and I was still wide awake. The
sun’s rays were starting to trickle in through the cracks of my curtains.
Everyone would be asleep by now. I grumbled and sat up as I tossed the ball
aside. I hadn’t been outside in the sunlight in a long time. I was always so
consumed with hunting. I never took the time to go out during the day because
vampires weren’t out during the day.

I
walked downstairs, and left through the front door. I walked along the sidewalk
into the main part of downtown. The place was alive with activity. People were
everywhere going in and out of businesses, it was so much different than the
activity at night. At night, all that was open were the clubs. I slowly walked
through the street enjoying all the sights and sounds. I never really enjoyed
the city; I was too worried about the creatures that went bump in the night.

I
hesitated when I spotted Aubrey. He was sitting outside a small café. He was
reading a newspaper and he looked completely normal. If I didn’t know better I
never would have guessed he was a vampire. Vampires normally didn’t like the
sunlight, but they could go out in it if they wanted to. The older the vampire,
the less the sun bothered him or her. He looked up and his brilliant turquoise
eyes immediately met mine. I had the urge to go to him, but I fought it and
turned away. He appeared in front of me and I froze.

“You’re
not even going to say hi?” he asked softly as he watched me.

“Hunters
don’t say hi to vampires,” I said quietly.

“Oh
yes, the whole hunter – vampire divide. You are so determined to keep it that
way aren’t you?” he asked sounding amused.

“It’s
the way it is supposed to be,” I countered.

“Says
who? Some long dead hunter who held a grudge like you? If you notice somehow
your kind is dying out and mine is only thriving. Don’t you think it is time to
put the weapons away Lillian?” he asked dryly.

“It’s
Rayne, and I will put my weapons away when I am dead,” I growled and went to
walk past him.

He
blocked me with his arm, then he stepped in close to me. “I am not your enemy
Rayne. You do not have to fight me.”

“You
say it as if I have a choice. You are the one who will not sign the truce,” I
countered.

“The
truce is just a piece of paper. Why would I sign a piece of paper promising
something that is not mine to give? It is up to each individual vampire to
follow the truce not just me, and I refuse to run around and enforce it. All I
can do is say what I will and will not do. I cannot promise anything else,” he
said softly.

“You
are their master,” I said confused.

He
scoffed. “I am a master vampire. I am not their master. There is a big
difference. I have followers and I am respected, but that does not mean
everyone will do as I ask. There will always be opponents. You can no longer
judge us as a whole. It is not all or nothing anymore Rayne. There are some who
want peace and there are others who will do whatever it takes to start a war.”

I
looked at him for a few minutes. I wasn’t sure what to say. “You should discuss
this with my uncle, or Kate. Make them understand; I don’t care.” I walked past
him back toward my uncle’s house. I was a little surprised he didn’t follow and
argue. I was also a little disappointed.

I
laid in bed listening to the din of noise coming from downstairs. It was
obvious they were having another get together. I didn’t understand how they
stood so many social occasions. I could barely make it through one. I sighed
and sat up. I was already dressed. I never went to bed after my encounter with
Aubrey. My brain wouldn’t turn off.

I
walked down the stairs. Like I suspected the place was packed with people. I
hesitated when I saw Aubrey standing across the room. He was talking to Kate. I
could feel the jealousy start to unfurl inside me. I pushed the feeling away,
and continued down the stairs. I couldn’t be jealous over him if I wasn’t
seeing him. I wasn’t going to stay and be social. I told Aubrey to go to Kate
and my uncle and that was obviously what he was doing. I made it through the
main room without being stopped. My plan was to get out of the house. I wasn’t
even sure where I was going; I just knew I didn’t want to stay here.

I
stepped out onto the sidewalk and a red corvette pulled up next to me. The
window rolled down and Colin looked up at me. “Get in,” he said watching me.

I
debated arguing, but I had nothing better to do so I climbed in the passenger
seat. He took off down the street like he was in a hurry. “Do you want to tell
me where we are going?” I asked as I watched downtown disappear.

“If
I told you, you would argue. I prefer it be a surprise,” he said amused.

I
sighed and sat back in my seat. “Why aren’t you at the house enjoying the
festivities?”

He
scoffed. “Aubrey may have agreed to the truce, but that only means more
problems.”

I
looked at him confused. “What do you mean? I thought his agreement meant the
end of the war.”

He
gave me a look that suggested I was an idiot. Maybe I was. I knew nothing about
the politics of my people. “Aubrey agreeing to a truce with the hunters goes
against the entire vampire council. The will send the death marshals after him
if they get wind of it, and I know they will. The question is when.”

“Does
Aubrey know this?” I asked horrified. I had no clue Aubrey was going to end up
in the hands of the death marshals. No one went against the death marshals not
even the vampires. The death marshals were the worst of the worst when it came
to vampires. Hunters normally didn’t have to worry about them as long as they
weren’t involved in vampire affairs.

“Of
course he knows. Why do you think he was hesitant to sign? He gave himself an
automatic death sentence by signing. I wouldn’t have even signed not for
anyone,” he said firmly.

I
didn’t speak as we entered the warehouse district. I felt horrible. I had a
horrible feeling he signed because of me. I was the one that pressured him to
sign. I had no clue it would end up possibly costing him his life. I never
would have pushed him if I knew that. “Why would he sign then?”

Colin
looked at me skeptically. “I have an idea,” he said dryly.

I
rolled my eyes. He was right; Aubrey signed because I wanted him to. “What are
we going to do about it?”

He
smiled. “I brought you here specifically for that reason.” He came to a stop in
front of a huge warehouse and got out.

I
climbed out after him and looked around. The area was pretty sketchy and I
wasn’t sure if I liked being in a place like this with Colin. “What is this
place?” I asked as I followed him toward the door.

“This
place is a headquarters of sorts. Come inside and you will find out,” he said
amused as he held the door for me.

I
wasn’t sure if I should go inside. I trusted Colin when he was a hunter. I
wasn’t so sure if I trusted him now as a vampire. I put my feelings aside and
stepped into the warehouse. The warehouse was full of people. They were
training. Some were hunters, some were vampires, and some were lycanthropes.
“What the hell is this?” I asked Colin. I was on guard now. I didn’t know any
of these people.

“These
are people who want to be free, and they want you to lead them,” he said as he
closed the door and stepped up next to me.

“That
doesn’t make sense. They are all free and I am not a leader,” I said confused.
I didn’t understand what Colin was trying to do.

“They
aren’t free Lillian. The hunters are ruled by your uncle and his council, the
vampires are ruled by the vampire council and the death marshals, and
lycanthropes are ruled by their councils. They all have to do what they are
told even if it does not make sense. You can change that,” Colin said firmly.
He was arguing like he was trying to make a point. I didn’t see his point. I
wasn’t a leader. I really wasn’t a leader to vampires and lycanthropes. I
couldn’t get past my own hate for vampires to lead.

I
glared at Colin. Everyone was watching us now and I was getting irritated.
“Listen Colin I don’t know what happened to you, but obviously you aren’t
thinking straight. I am not going to lead these people. They have leaders.”

“They
have bosses. Please Lillian, we all believe in you. We know what you have done
and what you can do. We know you are honorable and fair,” he pleaded.

I
looked around at all of them. They were looking at me like they were hoping I
would agree. I didn’t understand it. “I’m sorry Colin,” I said softly then
turned to leave.

“Aubrey
will die if you don’t do something. If you don’t care about us maybe you care
about him. The death marshals will come, and he will surrender. No one will do
anything, but watch him die. We can change that; we can fight,” he argued.

I
was standing with my hand on the door knob. Every scenario was racing through
my mind. I didn’t know what I was thinking even considering it. I knew Colin
was right. Aubrey would die if they came for him and it would be all my fault.
I turned back toward Colin and the group behind him. They were all eagerly
anticipating my decision. I didn’t speak I didn’t know what to say.

Colin
shrugged his jacket off and slid the sleeve of his tee shirt up. I looked at
him a little startled when I saw my tattoo on his arm. The white lily with the
small raindrops. It was identical to my tattoo. “How did you get that?” I asked
quietly. I could barely form the words.

“We
all have one. Your parents started this group. There have been others that
attempted to lead it, but failed. We are all here tonight hoping you will
continue your parents work, and lead us like they did,” he said softly.

“How
do I know you are telling the truth?” I asked trying to mask my anger. I
couldn’t believe he was using my parents to get to me.

“I
think you know I am. Your uncle never mentioned us because we stand for freedom
not reform,” he said softly.

I
looked over the group and I had a feeling Colin wasn’t lying. My uncle had
mentioned that my father didn’t always live according to the rules. Maybe this
was what he meant. “Fine, I’ll do it, but when it doesn’t turn out how you
expected do not blame me,” I said firmly.

The
crowd cheered and I was a little startled by their outburst. Colin smiled.
“They are all really excited. After your parents died we were sure our ways
were over.”

“Don’t
get too excited. I am not as smart or as good at leading as you seem to think I
am,” I said dryly.

Colin
laughed and squeezed me gently. “You will figure it out, I am sure of it.”

“Hopefully
you are everything Colin makes you out to be,” a man standing not far from us
said gruffly. He was probably older than me by at least twenty years. I could
tell immediately that he was a werewolf. I didn’t encounter werewolves often.
They weren’t normally my target.

“I
hope so too. Unfortunately I was not aware of any of this,” I said curtly. I
was trying to be polite, but his tone was bordering on being condescending.

“From
what I understand you are intolerable of any kind other than your own.” I could
see his eyes change as he spoke. He was getting grumpy. Werewolves tended to
try to fight over the smallest things.

“You’re
right I am, but I am told I need to change that; so you will have to be patient
with me,” I said softly.

A
murmur went through the crowd. I was beginning to think this group hadn’t
exactly agreed to me being their leader like Colin led me to believe. “She
openly admits to being intolerable. How is she going to lead us?” he growled
glaring at Colin.

“She
does what is right, and she will be fair. Give her a chance, Drake” Colin
snapped. It was obvious there was some tension between them. I was beginning to
think there was some tension between Drake and Colin.

“I
didn’t volunteer for this. I will be more than happy to walk away if you think
you can do the best job,” I said watching Drake.

His
eyes locked with mine and I wasn’t sure what he was thinking. He scoffed. “I’ll
let you fuck everything up yourself. I don’t want any part of it,” he said
gruffly. He turned and disappeared into the crowd. I watched the others and
they all watched me curiously. I knew it was going to be a long night.