The Recruit (Book Three) (24 page)

“
What about them?” She asked harshly. “They
aren’t Lycan, Will. They don’t know what it’s like to try and
constantly suppress their true nature. I can’t live among the
humans anymore. I’m not like them.”

“This isn’t your true nature, Hannah.” Will
frowned. “You are human.”

“I am Lycan!” She snarled at him.

He shook his head. “No, you are not. I am
Lycan. You are a human that has been turned.”

“There’s no difference.” She snapped.

“
There is.” He insisted. “I’m not saying it
makes you weak. I’m saying it makes you different and your human
side cannot be forgotten.”

“I haven’t forgotten it.” She protested.

“You have. What you’re suggesting we do is
madness. Have you forgotten about the leeches? You wanted your
vengeance for Sara. Have you forgotten that?”

“No, I have not!” She growled loudly. “But
how many leeches am I expected to kill? How long must I live this
wretched life before I have killed enough to make up for the loss
of my sister? I helped stop the vampire uprising, I killed Samuel
and had my life changed forever because of it. Haven’t I done
enough, Will? Am I expected to spend my entire life doing nothing
but destroying them?”

“No, I just – “

She grabbed his arm and squeezed it
tightly. “I want children. I want to live with you and our babies
and raise them without fear. I’m tired, Will. I want to live in the
light instead of dying in the darkness. I want a normal
life!”

Will gave her a look of
sadn
ess. “It’s too late
for that, Hannah.”

She bared her fangs at him. “It isn’t!
This could be our life, Will. There are too many vampires to
defeat. There will always be more, and we’ll do nothing but spend
our entire lives fighting a useless battle.”

“It’s not useless.”

“It is.” She insisted. “Open your eyes, Will.
Please! We are never going to win. Why shouldn’t we live the rest
of our lives in happiness? Why must we punish ourselves?”

“I never thought I would see you admit
defeat, Hannah.”

“
I’m not!” She glared at him. “I’m being
realistic and maybe a bit selfish. But is it really that wrong or
selfish of me to want a normal life?”

“No.” Will shook his head. “I get it, Hannah,
I really do.”

“Do you?” She asked sadly. “I don’t think so
or you wouldn’t be fighting me on this.”

“You think this is what will make you
happiest,” Will pulled her into his embrace, “but it isn’t. Please
believe me. The last year of your life has been awful, I know, and
I understand the appeal of leaving it all behind but you’ll regret
it.”

“You don’t know that.” She sighed.

“I do.” He replied. “You have a family and
friends who love you and you love them. Stop using the excuse that
you’re a Lycan to escape the life you now have. It won’t work.”

She didn’t reply and he kissed her temple. “I
love you, Hannah.”

“I love you too.” She whispered.

“We have to go back. We’ll pack up tomorrow
and – “

“No.” She interrupted. “Not tomorrow, Will.
Please.”

“Hannah – “

“Just a few more days and then we’ll go back.
I promise.”

He sighed and she stared up at him, her eyes
swimming with tears. “Please, Will.”

He nodded and brushed away the tears that
were spilling down her cheeks. “It’s the right thing to do,
honey.”

She nodded and turned away, lying on her side
and closing her eyes wearily. “Good night, Will.”

He gave her a troubled look before curling up
behind her and wrapping his arm around her waist. “Good night,
honey. I love you.”

* * *

“That one counts as mine!” Luther hooted
loudly and danced away as Tyrone glared at him.

“
Fuck you, Luther! It does not!” He turned
and stabbed a hissing, drooling vampire in the chest with the
large, sharp stake he held.
“I stabbed him first!”

“Yeah, but I finished him off, ya dink!”
Luther ducked as the head of a vampire came flying toward him. It
exploded in mid-air and Luther grinned at a panting, blood-covered
Alex.

“Nice move, Alex!”

“Thanks.” Alex ran toward a group of vampires
who were closing in on Selena and two female recruits named Liz and
Valerie. The three of them were firing rapidly but it was easy to
tell that only Selena’s were finding their mark.

As Alex chopped the head off the closest
vampire, a blur of dark fur and loud growling blew past Luther and
leaped on to the vampire about to attack him.

The vampire screeched in fear, her hands
beating at the Lycan that was snarling and biting into her body,
before trying in vain to rip the wolf’s head from its body. The
Lycan snarled angrily and sunk its teeth into her neck. The leech
screamed again, the sound trailing off as the wolf tore her head
from her body. Blood spurted out in a thick spray and Luther danced
backward as the Lycan howled in triumph.

“Nicely done, hottie!” He gave the Lycan a
short bow. “You need Luther to give you a bath? Clean that blood
from your smokin’ hot body?”

Constance chuffed and turned away, her
tail twitching, as Tyrone shouted loudly, “Stephanie, watch
out!”

The dark-haired girl turned, her eyes
widening as the vampire lunged at her. He knocked her to the ground
and tore the stake from her hand before laughing and yanking her
head back by her long hair. He plunged his fangs into her throat,
drinking thirstily as Stephanie screamed shrilly into the night
air.

Tyrone, his lime green board shorts glowing
in the darkness, sprinted toward them. He hit the vampire with a
heavy thud, knocking him from the woman, and the creature and the
boy struggled briefly on the hard ground before Luther threw his
body on to the vampire. Working together, the twins quickly pinned
the struggling vampire to the ground, the muscles in their thin
arms straining, as the vampire hissed and spit Stephanie’s blood at
them.

“
Quick, Luther! He’s fucking strong!”
Tyrone shouted.

“Don’t get your damn panties in a bunch!”
Luther shouted back as he ripped a stake from the belt around his
waist.

He plunged the stake into the vampire’s chest
and the vampire’s eyes widened in shock and dismay as his skin
began to blacken.

“Get back! He’s gonna blow!” Luther
hollered.

He and Tyrone scrambled back as the
vampire burst into ash.

“
Nice.” Tyrone held up his fist and Luther
bumped it before they staggered to their feet and ran to
Stephanie.

“
Steph? You okay?” Tyrone hauled her to her
feet and she nodded before touching the holes on her
neck.

“I think so.”

“
Atta girl!” He slapped her on the ass and
she jumped before glaring at him.

He grinned impudently at her and draped
his arm across her shoulders. “Maybe you should stop by my room
after all this is over and we’ll debrief.”

“TYRONE!”

Tyrone flinched as Mannie, standing in a pile
of ash and carrying bloody stakes in both hands, shouted at
him.

“
This is not a fucking social event! Do you
get me, you fucking moron?”

“
I get you, sir!” Tyrone hollered
immediately. He dropped his arm from around Stephanie’s shoulders
and the three of them jogged toward the remaining vampires. The six
leeches had been herded into a group and they hissed at the humans
that were slowly surrounding them. One of them, his eyes rolling
with fear, darted forward in a useless attempt to break through the
circle of humans. He made a soft gagging noise as Leanne, her red
hair pulled back in a high ponytail, stabbed him through the throat
with the knife in her left hand.

Her face pale, she plunged the stake in her
right hand into his chest and yanked both weapons free before
stepping back. The vampire dropped to the ground, blood pouring
from his throat and chest before bursting apart.

Working quickly, the humans killed the
remaining leeches. When they were dead and the forest around them
was silent, Mannie gave them a pleased look.

“
Good job, babies. Let’s get - ”

A strangled noise of surprise interrupted him
and his eyes widened in horror. The others turned to look behind
them. A vampire had dropped from the trees above them and wrapped
its hands around Leanne’s throat. It dragged the redhead backwards,
hissing and snarling at the humans, as Leanne struggled in its
grip.

“Let her go!” Mannie warned.

The vampire screamed laughter and tore
Leanne’s throat open with its sharp nails.

“NO!” Selena screamed.

She ran toward Leanne and the leech. As the
leech dropped Leanne to the ground, she raised her gun and fired.
It struck the vampire in the shoulder and it gave a shrill scream
of surprise and fear as Selena fired again. This bullet found its
mark and the vampire stared at its chest as a blue light began to
throb in its veins. It staggered back, touching its skin with soft
wonderment, before bursting apart.

Selena fell to her knees beside Leanne and
clamped her hands across the gaping wound in her throat. Blood
poured between her fingers and she stared helplessly at Mannie as
the rest of the group crowded around them.

“Mannie! Help me!” Selena gasped.

Mannie yanked off his shirt and pressed it
against Leanne’s throat. The redhead’s face was paling and she made
a soft gurgling noise as Selena, her hands dripping in blood,
brushed the woman’s hair back.

“
It’s okay, Leanne. You’ll be
okay.”

Bloo
d was soaking through Mannie’s shirt and he swore under his
breath as Leanne clutched weakly at Selena’s arm.

Selena took her hand and squeezed it firmly.
“Stay still, honey. It’ll be alright.”

She choked back a sob as Leanne made one last
gasping gurgle and died. Mannie, his face grim and his hand
trembling lightly, reached out and closed her eyes as Selena began
to cry softly.

The others stood in shocked silence, staring
down at the dead woman as Mannie squeezed Selena’s shoulder.

“Why so sad, humans?”

Mannie stiffened and the entire group turned
to see the very large vampire standing behind them. He was wearing
a dark suit and red tie and his dark hair was long and pulled into
a neat ponytail at the base of his neck.

He straightened the cuffs on his jacket and
smiled at them before glancing at the dead woman. “Lost one of your
own, have you?”

Selena glanced at Mannie. The vampire had a
thick German accent and he seemed unconcerned about the large group
of humans and Lycan standing in front of him. In fact, a small
smile crossed his face when Constance, growling loudly, began to
stalk toward him.

“
A Lycan. They’re so puny here, are they
not, Lars?”

“Ja, Olof.” A second vampire, his dark hair
was cut short and his eyes were the same startling blue as Olof’s,
appeared next to him.

“Fan out.” Mannie murmured.

The recruits, glancing nervously at each
other, did as he asked.

“We watched you destroying the others. Not
bad work for humans.” Olof said admiringly.

“Thanks.” Mannie grinned at him before
plucking the stake from the holder around his waist. “Glad you
approve.”

As Constance crept closer, there was a
soft whispery noise and more vampires descended from the sky. They
landed with a soft thud and Selena swallowed nervously as she
quickly counted them. All together there were thirteen of the large
vampires and when a red one with freckle-covered skin casually
ambled toward her, she drew her weapon and shot him in the
chest.

The vampire grimaced as blue light began to
appear through his pale skin. He bent over, one hand held against
his chest and the other rubbing at his temple, as the other
vampires watched silently.

After only a moment or so, he straightened
and Selena’s eyes widened when the pulsing light faded and
disappeared. He smiled at her as he unbuttoned first his suit
jacket and then his shirt before using his long nails to dig in the
hole in his chest. He pulled the spent bullet out, glancing
disinterestedly at it before dropping it to the ground and
buttoning his shirt.

“
Klaus
?” Olof said quietly.

“
Es geht mir gut, Olof.” The vampire replied. “Sie vermisste
mein Herz.”

Olof smiled at
Selena. “You should always be certain to aim for the heart, my
lovely.”

“Fuck you!”
Selena spat and fired her gun again. Olof dodged the bullet easily
before turning to his companions.

“I want them.
Bring them to me alive.”

“
Was ist mit der Wölfin?” Lars asked.

Olof turned his
cold eyes to the growling, snarling, Constance. “Kill her.”

Chapter 19

“Good
morning.”

Will sat down
in the chair next to Hannah and placed his hand on her knee. She
smiled at him in the bright sunshine and he studied the dark
circles under her eyes and the pallor of her skin.

“Are you
alright?”

She nodded. “I
didn’t sleep well.”

“We have to go
back, Hannah.”

“I know.” She
stared off into the distance and sighed softly. “I meant what I
said, Will. I’ll go back in a couple of days. I just – I need a
little more time to enjoy the peacefulness and the – the rightness
of being out here with you. Is that so awful?”

“Of course it
isn’t.” Will squeezed her knee lightly. “And we can always go
camping anytime you want.”

She gave him a
small, bitter, smile. “It’s too late for a normal life,
remember?”