Lillian Rayne Trilogy: Book 1

by Ella Price

He smiled. “I eat food. I’m not a full vampire. I have a heartbeat, just like you.”

  I hadn’t thought about him having a human side. I just thought of him as a vampire whenever I was told he was a hybrid. “Oh, well, I’m finished, so you don’t have to leave,” I said, as I put the bowl of grapes away. I was careful not to turn my back on him. Heartbeat or not, he was still part vampire.

  “I understand that you don’t trust me, and you don’t like the idea of a truce, but I would like to at least attempt to be cordial to one another,” he said quietly as he watched me.

  I nodded as I moved sideways towards the exit. “Yeah, sure, sounds like a plan. Have a good night,” I said, then ducked out the door. I felt much better when the door was closed. I could be cordial, but that was about it.

  I walked into the garden. It was a nice evening. I was contemplating what I was going to do tomorrow night. I didn’t want Damon to win. He annoyed me sometimes, but I still cared about him. I just didn’t think he would be a good master hunter. The position was a lot of responsibility for him.

  I hesitated when I heard a girl giggle. I recognized the voice. Her name was Penny. She walked around claiming to be the top female hunter, but that was only because I didn’t participate in the challenges. I heard the voice of the man that she was with, and I felt rage hit me hard. It was Damon.

  “When I win tomorrow, we are going to celebrate,” he said, amused.

  “You are going to dump Rayne for good then?” Penny pouted.

  “Her and I have been over for a while,” he said, and she giggled.

  I was frozen. I didn’t know what to do. Part of me wanted to confront them, and another part of me wanted to cry. I didn’t like the part that wanted to cry.

  I turned back toward the way I had come. When I walked back into the kitchen I was relieved to see Kai was gone. I hurried toward the stairs. I made it to the landing and looked down the hall. Luca’s light was on, and I instinctively went toward his room. I always went to him when I was hurt or angry. I knocked, and he opened the door. He was shirtless, like he was undressing and getting ready for bed. He looked at me, confused. I couldn’t hold back anymore. Everything that had happened was too much. I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck. I sobbed into his shoulder.

  He held me as he gently pulled me further into the room and shut the door. “What’s wrong, Lily? Tell me,” he said as he looked at me, sounding worried.

  I shook my head and clung to him. I just wanted to be held. I didn’t want to talk about Damon. I hated Damon. “Come on,” he said softly, and led me to his bed. He pulled me down onto the bed with him. He kissed my head, and I closed my eyes and took a deep shaky breath. I was safe now.

  ***

  “Are you ok?” Luca asked after almost an hour. I was lying on his chest looking at the wall. I was almost in a trance.

  I shifted and looked up at, him then sat up. “I’m fine,” I said softly as I wiped a stray tear away.

  He sat up behind me and touched my shoulder. “Are you sure? You can stay with me for a while if you need to.”

  I thought about leaving, but I really didn’t want to leave the safety of his embrace. “Okay,” I said softly. I slid back into his arms. “Damon is cheating on me with Penny,” I said.

  I felt him stiffen as I said it. I was surprised that I felt a little better. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. I was expecting an ‘I told you so,’ or something else, but he remained quiet.

  “I feel like such an idiot,” I said, trying to keep from crying anymore.

  “You aren’t. You cared about him, and it blinded you to what he was doing.” As he spoke, he ran his hand over my arm. His touch was comforting, and everything didn’t seem as bad now. Luca deserved to be the master hunter. He was everything a master hunter should be, and I was going to make sure he won.

  “Thank you for letting me cry on your shoulder,” I said dryly.

  He laughed and kissed my head. “You know I love it when you come to me. I like to see your human side. Sometimes your scary robot hunter side makes me nervous.”

  I laughed and snuggled into his arms. Luca was the only one who really understood me.

  Chapter 3

  I woke up in Luca’s bed. He was already gone. I knew he was more than likely training. Everyone would be. It was almost time for the challenge, and I intended to fight. If I took Damon out before he reached Luca, Luca would win.

  I showered and dressed quickly, then walked to the main hall, where the challenge was being held. It was set up like an arena. The challengers were already lining up. I could see my uncle and Kai sitting at the head table with the other council members. I entered the arena, and the chatter in the room quieted. No one had expected me to show up, that was for sure.

  I could feel Damon’s eyes on me, but I refused to look at him. I took my position next to Luca. He was, after all, the one I was trying to protect.

  “What are you doing?” Luca asked, sounding slightly amused.

  “Entering the challenge,” I said, smiling.

  “Why?” he said, looking slightly confused. He wasn’t going to quit questioning me, and I knew it. I had to tell him something.

  “I am going to kick Damon’s ass,” I said, glancing at him.

  He smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

  My uncle cleared his throat, and the room quieted. “It seems we have a last minute challenger. Rayne, I am glad to see you participate,” my uncle said, sounding unsure.

  I smiled at my uncle reassuringly. He probably thought I was going crazy. I was so adamantly against challenges that he thought I would never take part in one.

  He continued speaking, describing the challenge. It was simple, really. We all got a red marker. We were all wearing white shirts, and in order to defeat our opponent, we had to mark our enemy over the heart with the marker. It wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Getting that close to a hunter took effort.

  My uncle blew the whistle, and we all broke apart. I went straight for Damon. He was heading toward Luca. It made sense for him to go after his most challenging opponent while he was strong. I launched myself at Damon, knocking him to the ground. He looked at me, startled. He’d obviously thought I was going to help him in some way.

  “Rayne, what the hell are you doing?” he growled, as he recovered and got to his feet.

  “I am taking part in the challenge,” I said, as I swung at him. He ducked and stumbled backwards.

  His eyes were wide and confused, as though he didn’t understand what was going on. “Lily, what the hell.”

  “It’s Rayne to you, and don’t worry, I am sure Penny will still want you even if you are a loser,” I snapped.

  His expression darkened, and he suddenly struck. He kicked me, knocking me backwards into the barrier. I scowled and lunged at him. I caught him across the face with a punch, and he fell to the floor. I kicked him, knocking him onto his back. He was stunned holding, his nose as blood gushed from it. I signed my initials on his chest, then walked away.

  Luca defeated his last opponent, and we were the last two standing. I turned to face Luca and he smiled. This was going to be interesting. I kicked at him, and he easily blocked me. He tackled me and we went to the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He tried to use the marker on me, and I wrapped my hands around his wrists, holding him at bay. I could have easily gotten out of the position, but I was going to let him win. I could see by the amused look in his eyes that he was waiting for me to win. I relaxed my legs and he fell forward. The marker hit my shirt above my heart. Luca looked at me, startled, and I smiled.

  “Looks like you won,” I said playfully. I gave him a brisk kiss on the lips, then shoved him off me. The crowd was cheering as I stood. Luca was on his knees looking at me. He looked completely dumbfounded, and it was kind of cute.

  “It looks like Luca is our winner!” my uncle said excitedly as everyone cheered. Luca was the right choice for the job, and everyone knew it.

  As I
walked toward the exit, Damon walked toward me. “You bitch! You let him win!” he yelled.

  “What’s wrong, Damon? Is your pride a little hurt?” I asked, amused.

  He shoved me, and I just laughed. He was pissed, and I was enjoying it. I was glad he was angry. I hoped he felt as miserable as I did. “You are a spiteful bitch. Did you ever think maybe that’s why I went to Penny?”

  I could tell he was trying to hurt me, and it was working. “Well, now you two can be together. Oh wait, you’re the loser. You know Penny hates losers, right?”

  “Fuck you!” he snarled, and stalked off. Penny hurried after him. She glared at me as she did. I really wished she would come over and start something. I would have beat her, too, and I would have enjoyed every second of it.

  I felt pretty good as I made my way out of the room. The other hunters were cheering for Luca and congratulating him. I was glad I’d decided to participate. At that moment, I would have rather staked myself then see Damon win.

  “You did the right thing,” a male voice said from behind me. I turned, and saw it was Kai.

  “I didn’t do anything,” I lied, then went to turn back toward the stairs.

  “Everyone knows you could have easily beaten him,” he said quickly. He was being persistent, and it was a little annoying.

  I turned back toward him and looked at him, trying to decide what to say. “I slipped, and he saw an opening. It happens.”

  “If you say so,” he said, like he didn’t believe anything I was saying.

  I rolled my eyes and turned to go back up the stairs. “Luca would make the best master hunter; everyone knows that.” As I spoke, I hurried up the stairs. He didn’t say anything else. If Luca knew I let him win, maybe everyone did. I really didn’t care either way.

  ***

  I went to the training rooms on the second floor. Most of the time there were very few people there; usually, everyone was downstairs in the main room. I was punching the bag when Luca came in, about an hour after the challenge.

  “Hey Luca, having fun?” I asked, amused, as I continued to bounce and punch the bag. I was sure he was barely able to escape the mayhem downstairs.

  “You let me win,” he said, scowling at me.

  “Did not,” I countered.

  “Did too. You shifted your damn legs and I basically fell on you,” he growled.

  I smiled. “I screwed up and you found an in.”

  He scoffed. “Please, you don’t screw up. I screw up, Damon screws up. You don’t.” He moved closer to me and held the bag as I punched it.

  “Well, I did this time,” I countered. As I swung, he caught my wrist and pulled me against his chest. I gasped, caught off guard by his sudden closeness. I looked up at him, unsure.

  “You’re a liar. Why did you let me win?” he asked, as he kept his grip on me. His voice was low and husky. I felt my body react to the sound of his voice and the look in his eyes. I’d never felt like this around Luca, and it unnerved me.

  “You were the best for the job, and I kind of hate Damon right now,” I said, trying to keep my tone even.

  He watched me for a second, but he didn’t speak. I felt the tension between us. It was thick and uncomfortable. It felt a little like we were crossing a line we had always kept between us. The line that made our relationship platonic instead of sexual.

  The doors opened, and he stepped away from me quickly as my uncle walked in. I went back to punching the bag, and Luca plastered a smile on his face for my uncle.

  “Martha is looking for you, Luca,” my uncle said, as he glanced from Luca to me.

  “I was just trying to catch a break,” Luca said, sounding apologetic.

  Martha, my aunt, was a nice woman. She was Tanner’s mom, and she had a big heart. She had a thing about cooking and knitting. I was pretty sure she’d knit him something because he won. “Better hide. She’ll have you looking like a fucked up French poodle if she made you a sweater,” I said, amused.

  My uncle grinned. “It isn’t that bad. Go find her. I need to talk with my niece.” Luca nodded, then glanced at me one more time as he hurried out.

  My uncle hugged me, then stepped back. “I know you aren’t going to take credit for what you have done. I just wanted you to know it was the best thing for our people.”

  I smiled. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  He laughed. “I didn’t think you did, but I was saying it just in case. Are you going to come down anytime soon?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

  He cleared his throat, like he wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure if he should or not.

  “What?” I asked, watching him.

  “I heard about you and Damon. I’m sorry. You know you deserve better,” he said softly.

  I shrugged like it was no big deal, even though the mention of Damon made my chest ache. “I’m over it,” I muttered, then went back to punching the bag.

  He nodded, but I could tell he didn’t believe me. He didn’t push the issue, which was a relief. “Well, come down if you are feeling up to it.”

  I nodded, and he walked out, leaving me alone. I liked being alone. I was beginning to think it was better that way. I didn’t know what I was thinking, taking a chance with Damon. Luca was right about him all along.

  ***

  I went back to my room once I tired myself out. I showered, then lay in my bed and attempted to sleep. It wasn’t working very well for me. I had so many things running through my head it was hard to keep up. Normally, I would have been out hunting, not twiddling my thumbs because of some stupid treaty. I growled in annoyance as I got up, deciding to go to the kitchen and find something to eat.

  There were still quite a few people up celebrating, so I went through the back passages to the kitchen. I was glad it was empty; I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I was rooting through the refrigerator when someone wrapped their arms around me from behind.

  I stiffened, but as soon as I heard his voice I relaxed a little. “Lillian Rayne, I heard you whipped my little brother’s ass tonight,” he whispered in my ear.

  It was Colin, Damon’s older and hotter brother. Colin was normally not in this area. He normally travelled, and stayed as far away from headquarters as possible. I hadn’t seen him around in over a year.

  “He deserved it, I promise,” I said, amused. The first crush I ever had was on Colin. Sometimes I thought that was the only reason I went with Damon. Damon resembled Colin, except Colin had darker hair and prettier eyes. His features were sharper, and his overall personality was sexier.

  He laughed. “Somehow I believe that.” He ran his lips along my neck. I felt my skin start to tingle. He was usually flirtatious, but not this flirtatious. Then again, he was always too old for me. Now I was eighteen.

  I closed the fridge and turned in his arms. He grinned down at me, then pushed me against the fridge. His face was close to mine. My eyes strayed to his soft lips. I felt my pulse suddenly quicken when I saw he had fangs like a vampire. The realization hit me like a jolt. I shoved him backwards, away from me, and reached for the knife I always carried at my back.

  He held the knife up and grinned. “You don’t think I know all your little hiding places, Rayne?” he teased.

  “What the hell happened to you, Colin?” My voice was barely a whisper as I spoke. It wasn’t possible. Hunters couldn’t be vampires. Normally, if a vampire even attempted to turn a hunter, the hunter would die.

  “I would think it was obvious, by your reaction. You are taking it better than Damon did. They had to sedate him,” he said, as he ran his finger along the edge of the knife. “Would you really use this on me?” He looked directly at me as he spoke. His eyes were a beautiful golden brown, and they were even harder to look at now.

  “If I had to,” I said softly, as I shifted nervously. I didn’t know what to do or say. He was a vampire now. I would never look at him the same.

  “I’ve seen that look before. I
have to say, I don’t like being on the other side of it,” he said softly.

  I didn’t speak. I didn’t know what to say. I was at a complete loss. I’d idolized Colin like I did Luca. He was a great hunter. He lived a little on the gray side of things, unlike Luca, who was all black and white.

  “You are aware of the truce, correct?” he asked, disregarding my silence.

  I nodded, and he offered me the knife, hilt first. I slowly reached out and took it. He was obviously trying to tell me he wasn’t a threat.

  “You look good, Rayne. It’s good to see you again.” He didn’t wait for me to speak; he just walked out. He obviously knew I wouldn’t say anything.

  I steadied my breathing. I was in full fighting mode. I was lucky he’d meant me no harm. I didn’t know how I’d let a vampire get so close without even sensing him. Normally I could sense them. I couldn’t sense Colin, not even after I realized what he was.

  I hurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I needed to talk to Luca. Somehow, I knew he was aware that Colin was a vampire and he didn’t tell me. I barged into Luca’s room without knocking. He was just getting out of the shower, and he was naked. He cussed and grabbed his towel. “You could knock,” he growled.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked angrily.

  His expression softened; he knew what I was talking about. “I wanted to, but Colin asked me not to. He wanted to tell you himself.”

  “You should have said something.” I knew I sounded hurt, and I hated it. I prided myself in my ability to avoid showing any emotion other than anger.

  “Lily,” he said sympathetically, as he stepped toward me.

  “Don’t! Apparently, I don’t need to know what is going on; not with the truce and not with Colin!” I snapped and stormed out.

  “Rayne, damnit, wait!” he growled, as he hurried after me.

  “Just leave me alone,” I snapped as I made it to my door. I attempted to shut it and lock him out, but he pushed his way in.

  “Just hear me out,” he pleaded as he watched me. I glared at him, but relented and let him in the room. He shut the door behind him; then he turned and looked at me. “I know you’re mad, but Colin is the whole reason for this truce. He wanted to come back, but he knew he couldn’t unless he could get us to agree to make peace with the vampires.”