The Forbidden: A Huntress Novel (The Huntress Series Book 1) (18 page)

“Yeah, that’s why I’m late, the doctor wasn’t happy with me either.”

“I’m not happy with you,” She mumbled.

I turned my head and scowled at her before walking down the staircase.

“Oh sure, the next time Adam comes running to me with a bleeding nose I’ll tell him to handle it himself, just so I can show up on time and make my friend happy.”

She grabbed my arm and turn me around to face her. “Hey, don’t make me out to be the villain here, that’s not why I’m upset with you.”

“Well, spit it out already, I don’t have all night,” I snapped.

“What I meant was that you have been a little reckless lately and you’re not taking care of your body. Have you looked in the mirror lately, you look sick. You must have lost at least ten pounds and you’re weak, which has made your ability to fight off a vampire hard. It shouldn’t be difficult for one of the best fighters in the manor to kill just one vampire a night. You used to kill about four maybe five a night and now look at you, you’re so hung up on a vampire that you wish every time you walk out of the manor to go hunt that it will be the last hunt you ever do!”

“Yeah, are you done?!” I yelled.

Satisfied with angering me, she smiled and folded her arms. “Yes, I am.”

I balled my shaking hand into a fist and swung at her, Taylor grasped my wrist, stopping me from hitting her.

“Stop it, both of you. We’re supposed to be going after Aubrey not attacking each other!”

I yanked my arm from his hold and stormed out of the manor.

“Where are you going?” Taylor called.

“I’m going to find Aubrey on my own.”

“Athena, don’t be stupid. You can’t go out there by yourself!” Chelsea yelled.

My anger toward Chelsea had reached its limit. I was no longer able to keep the reaper that was stirring inside of me from coming out. While the reaper made its appearance, I ran through the woods trying to get as far away from Chelsea so I wouldn’t turn back around and later regret any sudden actions I made against her.

The woods became clearer as my eyes adapted to the reaper’s night ray vision. My breathing grew heavier as my ears became sensitive to the sounds around me, picking up on the smallest sounds. I was ready to take Aubrey down, I was eager as ever and I couldn’t wait to drive my sword straight through her freezing heart.

I gasped and looked to my left as I saw someone headed toward me from the corner of my eye. I tried to stop in time, but I knew it was too late. I squeezed my eyes shut as I smacked into a young vampire boy. Pain ripped through my skull as our heads collided. I growled and pushed at his chest as he fell on top of me. The coldness of his skin made me shiver as all of the warmth from my body faded.

His eyes widened when he realized exactly what it was he ran into.

I grabbed his hair as he bared his fangs ready and to stab through my flesh. I kept his head back as his teeth snapped at my neck. I felt around for the sword while trying to keep myself from becoming his next meal. Grabbing my weapon, I drove it’s blade into the side of his head. He winced and squeezed his eyes shut as blood streamed out of his mouth and stained my shirt. Pulling the sword from his head, I shoved him off of me and stood. Turning around I came face to face with two vampires, a male and a female. Tears dripped from their eyes as they glared at me.

“Friend of yours?” I asked.

“Brother, actually.” She said as she took a step forward.

If looks could kill, I would be a dead woman by now. I didn’t understand how he could be their brother when they are dead, but I didn’t have time to stand around and have a chat about vampires and reproduction. I had to kill them and find Aubrey before she killed anymore of my reapers. It figures that tonight was the night every immortal that was out ready to feed would find me and stop me from my goal. My plans never go as smoothly as I would like them to.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched the vampire girl like a hawk, I knew she was going to strike, I could see it in her cold eyes that she was hungry for a fight…and my blood. I braced myself, I knew that he would attack me the same time she did and I was ready.

The moment she made her move toward me, her brother followed. Stabbing her in the stomach, I pushed my foot in her brother’s abdomen shoving him back. I yanked my sword from her body and pushed her down as she lay in the dirt holding her stomach curling up into a ball.

As my sword stabbed through the air in an attempt to injure the only surviving sibling, he grabbed the blade and kicked me on the side of my head. I squeezed my eyes closed briefly; shaking away the sudden blur his hit caused. My grip on the sword stayed strong as he tried to pull it from my hand. His blood dripped from the blade and fell to the dirt. The power fight between us had to end soon and I saw a perfect opportunity to take a cheap shot. I lifted my foot and kicked him in the groin, yanking the sword from his grasp as he gasped and fell to his knees. I sliced his throat and shoved him on his back, then walked away leaving him there to die with his siblings.

I wished Chelsea were here to see me take down all three of them, just to prove to her that I may be depressed over a vampire but at least I still have the fire in me to fight. It didn’t matter how weak I felt or how sick I looked tonight because it had no effect on my fighting. My adrenaline level was higher than usual and that was all  due to the anger I had for Aubrey building inside of me.

I walked through the woods listening in on any sounds around me as I searched for Aubrey. More than likely, there would be a scream and one hell of a struggle with Aubrey involved and that was what I was looking for. I must have walked around for an hour hoping to run into her or catch her in the act and because our groups hunt in different areas the woods seemed vacant. This spot was my groups favorite area to hunt in and because Aubrey is familiar with the woods it’s a safe zone for her, she’s comfortable here and I knew I would find her here for that reason.

Instead of running into Aubrey like I had hoped, I found Kyle. He was sitting on the ground with his head in his hands. The skin from his knuckles were ripped off leaving his fingers in blood.

I kneeled in front of him. “Are you okay?” I asked in a gentle tone.

He looked up. The right side of his face had four nasty scratch marks going down his cheek and his arm bled from a stab wound.

“She attacked me. I fought her off, I would have killed her if those damn vampires hadn’t of come along and attacked me. She got away, but not before scratching up my face.”

“It was Aubrey, wasn’t it?”    

His brows furrowed. “Yeah, how did you know?”

“I discovered files of all of us hunters in her room. She’s been killing us off one by one.”

He let out a breath as he shook his head. “I saw Aubrey the night Julie was killed, she wasn’t hunting, at least not vampires anyway. It didn’t strike me as odd to see her out and about because I assumed she took a day off.

The way she look at me though, it wasn’t right…I always thought she was weird.”

“She’s been working with the vampires. For some reason they are keeping her as their little pet instead of sucking her dry. I have to go, I have to find her before she targets anyone else. Are you coming?”

I stood and held out my hand. He smiled and took my hand as I helped him to his feet.

“What do you have planned?” He asked.

“Well, since my plans don’t go the way I would like them to, I’m just going to wing it. I’m hoping she will be at the manor, probably packing to leave as fast as she can considering she kept you alive. If she is, then I will attack her and I will win.”

Chapter Nineteen

All of the hunters in the manor crowded around the foyer, the dining area, and even stood on the staircase talking amongst themselves as Kyle and I entered the manor.

“What is going on?”

“I don’t know, but it’s not good. We don’t get a crowded foyer if nothing happened.”

Isaac was in the dining area sitting down with Cameron and Adam. They all looked worried and scared for their life as they sat in silence. I had a bad feeling in my stomach, something definitely was wrong and I hoped it had nothing to do with Taylor and Chelsea.

Isaac glanced my way; he stood and walked over to me.

“What happened?”

“Aubrey is dead and your father suspects that the bloodsuckers are behind the attack.”

Kyle shook his head in confusion. “No, that can’t be. She was working with the bloodsuckers, why would they kill her.”

Isaac’s brows pushed together. “What are you talking about?”

“She’s not the person everyone thinks she is. She attacked Kyle tonight and I have proof that she has been killing off us hunters.”

Isaac shook his head in disbelief. “No, Aubrey couldn’t do that.”

“It’s always the person you least expect.” I said.

“Your father is talking about a lockdown.”

A lockdown is pointless, I know vampires didn’t kill her and I think I know who did. Taylor and Chelsea must have found her before I could.

“Did anyone feel their presence or even see any vampires?” Kyle asked.

“No, no one saw anything or even had the urge to change.”

“I know who did it then.” I said.

“Athena!”

I looked up at Chelsea who stood at the top of the staircase waiving me over.

“I have to go.”

“Oh, Adam told me what you did for him earlier. Thanks for taking care of him.”

I smiled. “I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

I pushed through everyone that crowded the staircase to get to Chelsea.

Grabbing her arm, I took her away from the crowd so no one could hear us.

“You weren’t supposed to kill her in the manor, my father is talking about a lockdown and we are the cause of it.”

Chelsea nervously nibbled on her bottom lip as her eyes fell on Kyle.

“It’s okay, he already knows. Aubrey tried to kill him tonight.”

“Taylor and I didn’t kill her.”

My brows furrowed in bewilderment. Aubrey had no other enemies but me, so who could have killed her.

“Do you know who did?” I asked.

She shrugged. “No, no one knows what happened.”

“Well someone in the manor killed her and it wasn’t Kyle because he was with me.”

I grabbed Chelsea’s hand and walked through the halls as quickly as I could to get to Aubrey’s room. I wanted to see her body before they removed her from the manor.

Taylor was leaning on the wall by the door with his arms crossed talking to Brody.

Aubrey’s room was a mess, her bed was tipped over, her nightstand was broken into pieces and blood stained the carpet. She must have put up one hell of a fight. Aubrey was already put in a body bag. My father was kneeled on the floor, zipping the bag closed when I ran into the room and grabbed his hand.

“No, I want to see her.”

Her face was deathly pale and she was covered in blood. On the side of her neck was a big gash like her skin had been ripped off. This was a vampire kill, which surprised me because I thought for sure she was safe with them.

“Damn it, it was a vampire,” I said to myself.    

“You’re a smart one.” My father said as he zipped the bag closed.

He sighed and stood. “This is the second time those damn immortals got in the manor, our home isn’t safe anymore. I found the files she stole, she was working with them.”

“That’s old news.”         

I joined Chelsea and the group in the hallway.

“Didn’t anyone hear her struggling?” I asked.

“Well my room is a few door down, I heard her scream but by the time I got out of the shower and ran to her room she was already dead.” Taylor said.

“And you saw no one at all?”

“Yeah, no one was there.”

“Isn’t it weird how no one felt the presence of a vampire?” Chelsea said.

“Yeah, especially since our bodies are sensitive when it comes to sensing an immortal. Your father is right the manor isn’t safe if they can just walk in here undetected.” Kyle said.

Chelsea sighed. “It’s the weekend and if your father decides to put us on lockdown because of the vampire lover then my plans are ruined.”

I closed my eyes and groaned. I didn’t know that it was the weekend, I lost track of what day it was. I was supposed to meet Lucas Friday, but I wasn’t planning on going. I could go out with him all I wanted but with each look and each touch I fall deeper into his love spell and I’m trying to forget about him as it is. Still the thought of me standing him up depresses me.

“What day is it?”

“It’s Friday.” Taylor said.

“Have a hot date?” Brody asked as he grinned.

“Yes, with me, myself, and I.”

I walked to my room feeling hollow inside. As much as I would like to take all of the emptiness sadness out of me it just wasn’t possible. Refusing to meet Lucas for another date hurt me more than I would have liked it to. I just can’t seem to get over him.

I looked over at my clock; I was supposed to meet him an hour ago. Hunting was the excuse to get me out into the woods so I could meet him that’s why he picked a Friday night. Sure I went hunting I  just didn’t go to the spot I was supposed to meet him at. I’m sure he’s still in the woods, angry and pacing back and forth because I didn’t show. I didn’t want to think about where he was or how he was feeling, I just wanted to relax and lately the only solution to get me to relax is a hot bath.

I stripped down into my bra and panties and walked into the bathroom to turn on the bath water. I sat on the ledge of the tub and poured bubble bath liquid into the steaming water.

I looked up when I heard a noise in my bedroom. My French doors were moving, but I shrugged it off thinking it was just the wind.

My stomach dropped as I heard my French doors opening. Aubrey had just died in the manor by a vampire attack and I had to be prepared just in case. I grabbed one of my daggers from the bathroom vanity and cautiously walked into my room.

I gasped and ran to my door and locked it when I saw Lucas sitting on my bed. That wouldn’t keep the reapers out if they sensed a vampire was here but it still eased my mind a bit. I should have known he was going to come here, I knew he wouldn’t take me standing him up too lightly.

“What are you doing here? You can’t be here my father is putting this place on lockdown, it’s not safe.”

Lucas was leaning forward resting his elbows on his legs with his head bowed. He didn’t seem angry at all like I expected, he seemed…sad. He had his hair in his usual messy do, which I know is purposely styled that way, messy but sexy. My fingers ached to touched it. His plaid button down shirt was covering his arms but I could still see his muscles through the shirt. I bit down on my lip as I fought the urge tackle him and rip his clothes off.

I thought about the time in the alley where he pinned me against the wall and, wait, no, I can’t think about that. I hated
absolutely
hated the affect he had on me…I hated that when he was around I had no control over what my body felt. My body betrayed me time and time again and would only bow down to the one person I had to fight to stay away from.

Yes, I am very much in love with him but I don’t want to feel these feelings for him…not until I make my decision. I would like it better if he wasn’t here that way I can decide in peace without him distracting me and fogging up my mind. I have come to know him quite well and I know he isn’t going to leave until I went with him and I had no intentions on leaving.

I cupped his chin forcing him to look up at me. “You are one brave vampire coming in a reaper’s domain when you know damn well that they can sense your presence.”

He pulled his chin from my grasp and stood. His eyes greedily looked me up and down and his eyes widened slightly as if he just realized that I was in nothing but my bra and boy shorts. He swallowed as his lips slightly parted before his eyes, heated with desire, met my gaze. His cold hand pressed against my stomach, I gasped as a chill ran through my body and stepped away from his touch.

“Your people can’t sense me.”

“Why can’t they?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I narrowed my eyes in frustration, why must he keep things from me.

He turned and picked up the box, taking out the dress he bought for me.

“You didn’t like it?”

I grabbed the dress and hugged it to my chest. “Yes, I do…I love it.”

“You just don’t love the person who gave it to you.”

I did so love him, but I was too damn stubborn to admit it. Besides, telling him that I loved him right now when I haven’t decided what I wanted wasn’t a good idea.

“Lucas, why are you here?”

His brows shot up. “You know why I’m here. Being stood up doesn’t feel too great.”

“I haven’t made my decision yet…I’m sorry, I should have told you before that I wasn’t coming.”

“You can make it up to me right now.”

I backed away and pointed my finger at him. “I am not having sex with you in the manor.”

Lucas’s eyes widened as he burst into laughter.

I folded my arms over my chest. “Glad you think I’m funny.”

“That’s not what I meant…but you would have sex with me though, you just said it.”

Oh believe me I wanted him so badly…but I wouldn’t let myself have him.

His brows furrowed as he glanced in the bathroom. “Wait one second.”

He ran so fast into the bathroom that I barely caught a glimpse of him.

The running water that I had forgotten was now turned off and within a blink of an eye,  Lucas stood in front of me once again and it was as if he had never left.

“Well now I know what I look like when I use my super speed.”

He beamed. “I love it, but I am faster than you are.”

I snorted. “Sure you are.”    

“I am a natural, you aren’t. You need your monster side to come out for your powers to shine.”

“I am not a monster.”

“You are to my kind.”

I smiled, satisfied that my kind actually intimidates his people. “Well good, now I know that we are doing our job right.”

He pointed to the dress that I still held in my arms. “I need you to put that dress on so we can have our date.”

I shook my head. “I’m not ready yet…I don’t know what I want.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Yes, you do…you know it and I know it. You’re just afraid of facing the storm that will come if you choose me.”

“I’m torn.”

He folded his arms and smiled. “So you are contemplating running away with me. I can help you with this problem of yours.”

I exhaled. “I want to be alone.”

“And what waste away in your misery. No, I will not let you sit in this room and cry over me, put that dress on.”

I folded my arms and scowled. “No, way.”

His brows raised. “Athena,” He warned.

I raised my brows mocking him. “Lucas.”

He pointed to the bathroom. “Go.”

“No!”

His mouth pressed into a hard line as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Why must you?”

“Why must I what?”    

His eyes lit up as the corners of his mouth lifted. “Get in there and get ready, or else I will show myself to the reapers.”

My eyes widened slightly. “You wouldn’t dare.”

He backed up and slowly walked to the door, unlocked it and began to open it.

Damn it, I didn’t think he would show himself to a manor filled with hunters, but I was wrong. I knew then that he had no problem walking about in the manor. He wanted a fight and wanted to attract attention to himself. I couldn’t let him walk out that door and the only way he would listen to me is if I gave him what he wanted.

I stomped my foot on the floor and glared at him. “Fine, I’ll go. Shut the door!”

He shut the door and laid on my bed grinning, pleased that he got his way. “Thank you for being so cooperative.”

I may have given into him but I sure as hell had plans to make him wait a long time.