Hunter's Blood Special Edition (Cursed by Blood Saga) (11 page)

Thanks to Lily, this typically
volatile community had found a way to rally. So far, so good. Of course, he and
Mitch would never live down the havoc they caused in the clinic that day.
Volkmann and his staff would certainly see to that.

Even so, people viewed Lily as a
Godsend, so it was only fitting the Hunter’s Council acknowledge that. Tonight
they would hold a blood rites ritual—an ancient act of initiation and
acceptance. Originally used to unite different clans in kinship, today it was
more symbolic, a traditional ceremony used to honor and acknowledge those who
have been of great service to the pack. No one had actually demanded a true
bloodletting in ages.

Lily opened the door. Sean’s eyes
swept the full length of her petite frame. “You look beautiful,” he said,
swallowing back the comment he had waiting for her on how long it took.

She had traded her standard of black
leather pants and biker jacket for a creamy cotton sweater dress. The knee
length, clingy knit hugged every lush curve, while a low, square neckline
dropped from her shoulders to skim the top of her breasts, tiny ruffled edges
highlighting her cleavage. Her dark hair was curled and pulled back, falling
softly to her shoulders, and high-heeled, winter white boots replaced her usual
shit-kickers.

“Too much?” she asked, doing a little
twirl.

“No. You look fabulous. But who are
you, and what have you done with Lily?”

Without batting an eye Lily pivoted,
landing a perfect spinning back kick to his solar plexus, the point of her heel
nailing him dead center.

Pivoting back around she stood, head
cocked to one side and her hands on her hips watching him recover his breath.

“Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?”
she teased.

Sean’s hand shot out like lightening,
grabbing her around her waist and pulling her down in one fluid motion. Dipping
her back, he growled low, licking her throat from her cleavage to her ear. “You
should be.”

At the raspy feel of his tongue, Lily
shivered but gritted her teeth. “Don’t presume there’s no fist in the glove
just because it’s made of something soft.”

Sean straightened, keeping her body
close. “So dangerous,” he whispered into a kiss, deepening his fervor until its
heat threatened to take them over.

Breathless, she broke away. “I thought
you wanted to get going? You’ve been sitting around grousing for an hour that
people are waiting for us.”

Throwing his head back, he laughed.
“Okay killer, after you.” Releasing her waist, he stepped back, smacking her
butt in the process.

Lily rubbed her backside in feigned
disgust. “Just like Terry…has to have the last word!”

***

The two walked into the great hall.
The room was enormous, big enough to host twice the two hundred guests invited
this evening.

Holly and pine boughs decorated the
hall, giving the room a festive air and a crisp, clean scent. Christmas was
only a few days away, yet the atmosphere was more than just merry as people
laughed and talked. It was hopeful.

While Sean busied himself with
greeting guests, the polite banter was lost on Lily. Wide eyed she surveyed the
room and all its regalia. The ceiling was beamed with rough-hewn boughs and
dotted across its length with large, iron chandeliers. Two stone hearths graced
either end of the room, both immense and fully ablaze, yet it was the center
table that held her fascination.

A great, round, slab of carved oak sat
at the direct center of the room. Nine wooden chairs surrounded it, each
adorned with the crest representing the dual nature of the hunter elected to
that seat.

“Close your mouth, Lily. You look like
a codfish,” Sean said from the corner of his mouth.

“I can’t help it. This place looks
like something from another time. I’m surprised there aren’t rushes on the
floor or half-dressed serving wenches carrying trenchers of food.”

“Read Harlequin much?”

“Shut up. There’s nothing wrong with
romance novels. You could learn something from them, you know.”

Sean’s mouth curved into a slow,
seductive grin. He let his fingers drift casually along the side of her arm,
deliberately grazing the edge of her breast. “Could I now?”

Lily’s breath caught in her throat.
She opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the sound of beating of
drums.

Trumpets sounded, and nine people
cloaked in red and gold robes entered through an ornately carved door to the
side of the far hearth. The room fell silent.

“The Hunter’s Council,” Sean breathed
in her ear.

“Shouldn’t you be with them?”

He shook his head. “I’m the Alpha
Council. I sit at the head, but matters are decided amongst the nine. Only
during a stalemate do I get involved. My job is to preserve the safety and
security of the Compound and to protect our anonymity. It is my wish that you
be recognized tonight. That’s why I’m standing here with you, instead of with
them.”

Lily didn’t know what to say. The
council members approached the table, each carrying a long lance. Sean explained
they were the traditional weapons used to hunt Weres centuries ago. Each
possessed an extraordinarily long spearhead thought to be spelled. It was
believed the spearheads kept the souls of each Were whose heart it had pierced.
He went on to say the council now carried them in remembrance of ancestors who
died at the hands of human superstition and fear.

Lily gulped.
Human superstition and
fear?
What about her human intolerance and hate? Suddenly she was sorry she
had chosen to girl-it-up tonight instead of wearing her usual armor.

Sean wrinkled his nose at the quick
spike in her adrenaline. “Relax. You have nothing to worry about. These people
owe you their lives. We wouldn’t be here tonight otherwise.” He squeezed her
hand. “
Besides, I have my own personal reasons for wanting this,”
he
added whispering through her mind.

A stunned grin spread across Lily’s
face. Picking up on his thread her smile grew. “
You never said we could
actually speak telepathically! I thought it was just imprinted memories and residual
images.”

“You never spoke to anyone else this
way, not even Terry?”
he asked
.

“No one, never…this is great! Now I
can keep a smile on my face even if I’m yelling at you!”

“Ha. But you’d better watch what you
say. I’m not the only one with this talent, you know. It’s just stronger
between us because we’ve…”
Sean trailed off growling low in the back of her
mind, sending her explicit images to make his point.

Lily’s face grew hot as the sensation
pinked up to her ears. “Cut that out!” she hissed.

The nine were seated, and Mitch Paris,
Sean’s second-in-command stood. “Sean Leighton, Alpha Council of the Brethren,”
he paused rapping his lance on the floor three times, “Make your request.”

With Lily in tow, Sean approached the
table. In a loud voice, he addressed the hall. “As Alpha Council of the
Brethren and Protector of the Compound, I formally request that Lily Saburi be
initiated as an ally and honored member of our ranks. She has shown true
compassion for our kind, even at the cost of her own sacrifice and suffering.
She’s is a companion-at-arms and a friend to the pack.”

The room erupted into cheers. Even
Mitch had to stifle a smile as he rapped the end of his lance calling for
order. Shouting over the din, he rapped the lance again, “What say the council?”

Eight council members stood, sending
eight resounding ayes echoing through the great hall. But when the room
quieted, all eyes turned to the still seated and silent ninth.

Lily held her breath feeling Sean
stiffen at her side as Edward Parr, ninth council, stood and faced the hall.

“I, too, acknowledge this young
woman’s sacrifice and her help. Let it be recorded that for those reasons I,
too, am grateful. However, everyone here knows what our traditions allow and
what constitutes sedition. It is no secret I was not in favor of this council
when it was formed. Over the centuries each Were group had its own method of
governance, separate from the other. Now we are thrown together for reasons of
necessity, as some believe. But, I for one, believe that our individual
traditions and rituals suffer by it.

“I acknowledge that centuries of
change in the human world have led us to where we are now, yet I cannot and
will not agree to flout tradition so much so as to allow a human to join our
ranks. It has never been done, and as long as I draw breath it never will.”

Sean stepped forward with a nod to
Rissa to come and stand by Lily’s side. “I can appreciate your reluctance,
Edward,” he began. “However, Lily Saburi stands as an exception to our
tradition. She has Were blood flowing through her veins, the same blood that
has provided us with the cure for the disease that would otherwise lead to our
slow, but certain extinction. While it’s true the amount is small, it still
gives my request validity.”

A hushed murmur began to spread as
people debated among themselves. It grew to a dull roar as dissent broadened. A
gleam of triumph glinted in Parr’s eyes, knowing that council members would
never vote with such unrest and indecision swarming throughout the community. He
turned toward Sean. “Of course, there is a solution to this dilemma, but you
already know that. It is the only acceptable one for many of us. You must turn
her.”

In a clatter of books tumbling to the
floor, Doctor Volkmann stood with a look of shock and disbelief on his face.
“That’s not possible! How could you even make such a request? We need her to
stay intact, at least until we have a vaccine that is fail-safe.”

Volkmann pointed his finger at Parr.
“You are a calculating madman, sir. By demanding this, you risk the health of
every Were in this community, including Ms. Saburi’s. We will self-destruct.
But perhaps that is your intention!”

The little man’s voice trembled with
anger. Everyone knew the consequences, not only for the Weres, but for Lily, as
well. The event of a premature conversion increased the likelihood of Lily’s
blood becoming tainted, and the end result was unthinkable.

Parr’s eyes held a sly glint as they
narrowed. “I know full well the risks, Doctor. Then again, what good is our
future survival if we have nothing anchoring us to our past?”

The room exploded as factions
splintered. Fights broke out between rival groups. Old grudges and slights long
buried were once again unearthed, and chaos ensued.

Sean howled, a long piercing sound that
brought the room immediately to order. He looked at Parr whose white teeth
flashed momentarily in triumph. His adversary had managed a stalemate, a
decision required of the Alpha Council. Parr’s smile said it all, it had
happened just as he wanted.

Sean knew he had been set up. He
should have anticipated this, but he thought for sure that the security and
health of the community at large would supersede any past disputes.

Now he knew he was wrong. Personal
gain and power was at the root of this—as if they weren’t up against enough.

He howled again, but this time the
pitch was higher, resonating in multi-timbres. The community fell to its knees
in shock. It was the timbre of the Alpha, and its significance unquestionable.
Sean was pissed. “This meeting is recessed till midnight.” Storming out of the
room he left every Were trembling in his wake, but he didn’t care, he needed
time to think.

Lily went to follow, but Rissa held
her back. “No Lil. He’s in Alpha mode, and he needs to be alone. This is a
serious. He needs time to weigh everything, and your presence would only make
matters worse. It’s going to be hard enough for him to be impartial, without
you adding to it. Why don’t you let Mitch and me walk you back?”

***

Lily shut her bedroom door, slumping
against the jamb. She hadn’t said a word the whole way back, but Mitch and
Rissa were just as quiet, neither knowing what to say. They were just as
stunned. As she stood in the dark, Lily couldn’t help but wonder which way Sean
would decide. Maybe Parr was right, and she didn’t belong here.

“Why are you standing alone in the
dark?”

Lily whirled, snapping on the light.
“Terry!
Jesus
, Mary and Joseph…
where have you been?”

“Just giving you a little space,
that’s all.”

“Space, really? You have no idea what
just happened. I could have really used someone on my side tonight.”

“I gather it didn’t go as Sean
expected.”

“To say the least...” Lily exhaled,
flopping down on the couch. “Sean honestly thinks this can work, but I don’t
know, Terry. I’m starting to think I don’t belong here after all. Maybe we
should just go home, perhaps Sean will decide to come with us.”

Terry didn’t answer. She just looked
at her friend, a bittersweet expression on her face.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you want
Sean to come? I thought you liked him.”

Terry laughed, her eyes shining with
unshed tears. “Oh, Lil, I love Sean, and I know whatever happens you two will
be happy. It’s just,” she paused, struggling to find the right words. “It’s
time for me to say goodbye.”