by Ella Price
“You still should have warned me. I let him close to me!” I said angrily.
He looked confused. “It’s still Colin, Lily. He is the same man. I have talked to him.”
“He’s a vampire! He isn’t one of us anymore,” I countered.
He watched me, as if he didn’t know what to say. “You hate them so much that you can’t overlook it? He is your friend, Lily, not your enemy.”
I didn’t speak. I couldn’t be friends with a vampire. Vampires killed my parents. They were the reason I had no one. I hated every last one of them. “Just leave,” I said quietly, then turned away. I didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
“Lily, I…” he started, but I cut him off.
“Go!” I snapped.
He didn’t say anything else. He just turned and left. I couldn’t believe how much had changed in just a matter of days. Everything I knew was changing. They wanted me to go from killing every vampire I found, to trying to be friends with them. I just wasn’t sure if I could do it.
Chapter 4
I barely slept. I watched the sun set, and a couple hours afterward I was antsy. I needed to get out, even if I couldn’t hunt. I didn’t want to remain in my room, and I didn’t want to socialize. I dressed in my usual uniform of jeans, a tank top, boots, and all my favorite weapons. I didn’t intend to hunt, but I wasn’t going unprepared, either. There were rules to the truce, and those rules included a vampire not being allowed to harm or kill. If I could catch one breaking the terms, I had the right to hunt him or her.
I walked down the stairs, hoping to avoid everyone. Tanner was standing outside my uncle’s office. He dodged inside, like he was waiting for me and reporting my appearance to whoever was inside. As I approached the office, Luca came out.
“Where are you going?” he asked, sounding a little worried.
“Out,” I said simply, and started to walk past him. He caught me by my arm and I glared at him. “What?” I growled.
“No hunting. We haven’t exactly got Aubrey on board yet. We are working on getting him to meet us,” he said softly.
“You haven’t gotten the master vampire of this district to even agree to a truce yet? Why do we even have to follow it, then?” I asked, annoyed.
“Because there are several vampires who are stragglers from Aubrey’s group that want a truce, and we have to show that we’re genuine in our interest,” he said firmly.
“This is ridiculous. No one even knows what Aubrey looks like.” I had never run into Aubrey, at least as far as I knew. His vampires wouldn’t say what he looked like, so it was impossible to hunt him. He was supposedly pretty powerful.
“Just leave that part to me and your uncle. No hunting, please,” he said softly.
I sighed. “No hunting,” I agreed reluctantly.
He relaxed and smiled. “Thank you. Be careful,” he said, and walked back into the office.
I rolled my eyes and walked out. I was getting more and more annoyed with this truce.
***
I cut through the same dark alley I had been in the night Tanner interrupted my kill. It always irked me when a vampire got away, especially when it was an arrogant vampire. He was odd, compared to the rest. He didn’t seem afraid or even worried when I attacked him. Most of them went into attack mode and they didn’t stop until one of us was dead. He didn’t; he was cool and calm. Maybe he thought I knew about the truce. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t kill him.
“Miss me?” a playful male voice chimed from behind me.
I backed up to the brick wall as I turned toward the voice. It was the same vampire. I recognized his brilliant turquoise eyes and blond hair. He had his hair tied back behind his head. He dressed like he was upper class. I could tell his leather pants and button-up shirt were tailored specifically for him. “Not really,” I said, trying not to betray my emotions. He was just standing there. He made no move to attack.
“Isn’t there a truce?” he asked, sounding slightly amused.
“Why do you think you aren’t dead?” I countered.
His smile widened. “You are so confident. Why have I not seen you before?”
“Why would you have? I try not to become known to your kind,” I countered.
“My kind knows you well, Rayne. I know you by reputation alone, although I am now intrigued. Such a big reputation for such a beautiful young lady.” His tone was light, the same tone he’d used the other night.
“Your compliments will get you nowhere, so don’t waste your time,” I growled. He made me uncomfortable, but I was trying not to show it.
“I didn’t think they would. I heard you have quite the grudge against my kind. A lost family member or two has fed your urge to hunt - at least, that is the rumor,” he continued, unfazed by my tone.
“That is none of your damn business. You are lucky I can’t touch you,” I said angrily. I didn’t want him talking about my family.
“You can touch me wherever you like. I won’t protest, as long as you are gentle,” he teased.
I scoffed. “What is wrong with you? You are strange.”
He laughed. “You’re the pot calling the kettle black right now.”
“I am human; I’m supposed to be strange. You are a vampire. You are all the same,” I spat.
He looked even more entertained. “You really see us as emotionless monsters, don’t you?”
“Aren’t you?” I countered. I didn’t really know why I was still here talking to him. I had nothing to say to him.
“I think that is something you should discover on your own. My words will not sway you; you are far too stubborn. Would you like to join me for a drink?” he asked, watching me with the same playful expression.
I looked at him, a little shocked. “Why are you asking me out?”
“I’m not asking you out. I’m asking if you want to join me for a drink,” he said firmly, like he was correcting me.
I crossed my arms in annoyance. “Trying to lure me somewhere isn’t going to work.”
He rolled his eyes. It was kind of funny; it didn’t seem like his thing. “If I wanted to lure you, I would run up and hit you. I am sure you would chase me down.”
I smiled slightly. He was right. If he hit me, I would try to hunt him down for it. I didn’t understand how he could read me so well. I’d always thought I was careful with my emotions. “Where?” I asked, even though I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to go. I just wanted to play along a little longer to see what he wanted.
“A bar,” he said, smiling.
I sighed. He was going to be difficult. “What bar?”
“That bar,” he said, nodding toward a door not far from us. It was the entrance to a vampire club. There were no markings, which was how I knew what it was.
“I’m not an idiot,” I growled, making it a point to sound offended.
“Isn’t there a truce?” he asked innocently.
“The vampires haven’t completely agreed, so as far as I am concerned, there isn’t,” I countered.
“Then why are you playing nice?” he asked. He wasn’t surprised. He knew the truce hadn’t been agreed to yet. He wasn’t stupid. I had a feeling he knew a lot more than he let on.
“A friend asked me to. Something about trying to show we are serious,” I said, smiling. I felt like I was in a standoff. I was tense and on guard, but he seemed pretty at ease.
“A friend? As in a lover?” he asked teasingly.
“A friend, as in none of your business.” I wasn’t going to give him any information. I didn’t trust him at all.
“So the drink?” he asked again.
“I will have a drink with you at Carla’s, around the corner,” I said, finally relenting. Carla’s was at least a human bar. There weren’t any hunters, but there certainly weren’t any vampires.
He smiled. “Perfect; a human bar. My favorite.” His light mood was infectious, and as much as I hated it, he made me smile a little. “Shall we?” he asked, indicating the direction of
Carla’s.
I moved away from the wall and walked next to him toward the mouth of the alley. Carla’s wasn’t far, which was a relief. I didn’t like walking next to him. I wasn’t as prepared for an attack.
He smiled as he held the door to Carla’s for me. I didn’t like walking past him. That meant my back would be to him. I pushed the feeling aside and forced myself to walk past him. He followed me to a small secluded booth. The waitress came over as soon as she spotted him.
“What can I get you, cutie?” she asked, batting her eyes at him. I couldn’t believe how quick she was to hit on him. Then again, to her, he was just a beautiful man.
“Your oldest scotch, on rocks,” he said, smiling.
“And you?” she asked me, without taking her eyes off him.
“Same,” I said, keeping my eyes on him as well.
“Be back in a jiff,” she said, then winked at him before hurrying off.
He turned his attention to me, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it. His turquoise eyes made it difficult for me to make eye contact with him. He could hypnotize humans with those eyes, but not me. “So, are you against the truce?” he asked, breaking the silence.
I shrugged. “They never last more than a week. One side or the other always ends up breaking the agreement.”
He smiled. That smile was both annoying and, for some reason, sexy as hell. “In a perfect world, where neither side broke the agreement, would you follow it? Or would you work in the gray area?”
“I don’t know. Unfortunately, the world isn’t perfect.” I wasn’t sure what kind of answers he was looking for. I didn’t even know his name. He seemed very familiar with the happenings of the vampires and the hunters; he paid attention. Many vampires didn’t.
“From what I understand, you already work in the gray area, Rayne.” He didn’t sound angry as he spoke, which surprised me a little.
“I do when necessary,” I countered.
“You mean when it suits your agenda. When your higher-ups can find their ass with both their hands,” he said, amused.
I smiled. “Basically.” The waitress came back and set our drinks in front of us. She made a point of getting as close as possible to him. His eyes drifted to her neck, like it was a natural instinct. I raised my eyebrows at him, wondering if he was daring enough to do something to her in front of me.
He grinned like a young boy who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to kill me tonight. Tell me, why did you let that oaf Luca win the challenge?”
I stiffened a little. He shouldn’t have known anything about the challenge, unless he had someone on the inside. “I didn’t let him win,” I said softly, deciding to answer him.
He scoffed. “Of course you didn’t. You just wiped the floor with his superior opponent, and you couldn’t get past him, a more inferior opponent. That sounds reasonable.”
I smiled. “I had a little extra anger saved up for Damon.”
He looked a little surprised. “You had a personal relationship? Well, that doesn’t seem like you. How did he get past your warm, fuzzy personality?” He was being sarcastic, and he thought it was funny.
I rolled my eyes. “I am not talking about boys with you. What is your name, anyway?” I asked, deciding I should at least know who I am talking to.
“I have many names,” he said, amused.
I was getting impatient with his playful banter. I wasn’t used to this. It was too odd for a vampire. “What is the name everyone here knows you by?”
His smile widened, and I got a perfect view of his fangs. “You can call me Aubrey.”
I watched him for a second. There was no way he was the master vampire Aubrey. The one all the other vampires feared and served. He just didn’t seem like the type. “The master vampire Aubrey?” I asked, bluntly.
“Maybe. Does that gray area look more appealing now?” he teased, like he wasn’t worried about me at all.
“You are awful brave, revealing yourself to me. I am one of the few that are dumb enough to attempt to hunt you down when this stupid truce is lifted,” I said softly, as I watched him. I was even more on guard, now. Master vampires were dangerous.
He grinned. “I know. That’s what makes this so much fun. Why didn’t you kill me the other night when you had the chance?”
I shrugged. “My cousin interrupted with his grand news.”
“You had a chance to kill me before that, when my back was to you. You snuck up on me, but you caught my attention before you moved to strike. It would have been more effective for you to just stab me in the back.” He was watching me, curious. I didn’t really want to discuss my reasons with him.
“I do not stab anyone in the back. I always give them a chance to fight,” I said quietly.
He raised his eyebrows in confusion. “That could get you killed.”
I shrugged. “Maybe, but I am not a coward. It’s about honor. I do not think it is honorable to kill anyone without giving them a chance to defend themselves.”
“That is strange,” he said softly, as he slowly spun his glass.
“What is strange is you acting like I am not a hunter that can easily kill you,” I countered.
“Kill me, maybe; easily, I doubt it,” he said amused.
I rolled my eyes and tossed money on the table. “I am currently ruining my reputation. I should go,” I said as I stood.
He smiled. “It was a pleasure. Perhaps we will meet again.”
I smiled. “I know we will,” I said, then walked out, leaving him at the table.
My entire encounter with him was confusing. He seemed more human than the other vampires. He was a strong vampire; maybe it was all a trick. I would have to be cautious, he knew more about me then I liked. I had a feeling he had friends in our compound.
***
It was a little after four in the morning when I walked in my uncle’s house. Kai and Colin were at the base of the stairs. They were at the top of my list as possible spies. Someone had told Aubrey about the challenge.
“Anything interesting going on, Rayne?” Kai asked, obviously trying to be polite.
“A few things,” I said quietly as I walked past them. I kept my distance, and they knew I was doing it intentionally. Colin appeared in front of me, and my hand went instinctively to my knife.
“I am still your friend, Rayne,” he said softly.
“And I am still a hunter,” I countered, and moved past him. He wasn’t the same man. He couldn’t be. Vampirism changed people. It made them colder and less attached to the things they loved. The bloodlust came first, for many of them. I made it to the top of the stairs and found Luca standing there.
“Did you stay out of trouble?” he asked, sounding a little amused.
“Don’t worry, your half assed truce is still in effect.” As I went to move past him, he caught my arm. I looked up at him, slightly irritated that he was hindering me.
“Thank you, Lily,” he said softly.
I held his gaze and felt the butterflies erupt in my stomach. I wondered if he felt the same thing, or if it was just me. I didn’t like the feeling. I didn’t want to ruin what Luca and I had. I pulled away. “You’re welcome,” I muttered, then hurried to my room.
I didn’t understand what had changed between Luca and me. I felt awkward and nervous around him. I hated that feeling. I felt like a girl with a crush. I didn’t want to have a crush on Luca. He was like family to me, and I refused to ruin that.
Chapter 5
I felt his soft lips press gently to mine. He broke the kiss, and I opened my eyes. I froze as I looked into his bright turquoise eyes. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. His mouth was so close to mine; an amused smile played at his lips. I considered reaching for the knife I kept under my pillow, but I knew he would stop me. He pressed his lips to mine again. I remained rigid as he encouraged me to kiss him. His kiss became deep and desperate, almost needy. He broke the kiss again and smiled. I was breathless, and my cheeks
were flushed; I could feel it. “So there is a blushing girl under that cold exterior,” he teased. Before I could speak, he was suddenly gone. I could breathe again.
I sat up straight in my bed and looked around. Aubrey wasn’t anywhere in the room. I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. It was a dream. The curtains dancing in the breeze caught my attention. I looked at the window. It was open; I never left the window open. I quickly reached under my pillow for the knife, and froze when I didn’t feel it. There was something else. I moved the pillow, and looked at a beautiful white lily. Maybe it wasn’t a dream. The thought unnerved me as I touched the petals of the lily. I climbed out of bed and quickly shut and locked the window. He was awful arrogant if he thought he could come in my room without my permission.
I looked at the clock. It was a little after nine. I had slept a while. It was time for me to get up and do something. I had half a mind to go find Aubrey and deck him for coming in my room. I didn’t like the fact that he’d gotten so close. I was beginning to think I was letting my guard down. I needed to train, and that was exactly what I planned to do.
***
I thought about Aubrey’s kiss and it made me angrier. I punched the bag as hard as I could. I was acting like a girl again, and it was irritating. I couldn’t let a stupid kiss blind me. He was a vampire. He was a killer, and a monster.
The alarm went off, and fear coursed through me. I hadn’t heard that sound in a long time. It meant something was wrong. I ran from the training room down the stairs to my uncle’s office. I burst in without knocking. My uncle, aunt, Luca, Kai, and Colin were surrounding Damon and Penny. They were both beat up and bloody.
“What is going on?” I asked, starting to get worried.
“Vampires jumped us. They took Tanner,” Damon said through gritted teeth. He was obviously in pain.
I could see the fear in my aunt’s and uncle’s eyes. “I will go after them,” I said, then ran back toward the stairs. I could hear Luca on my heels, but I didn’t care.
“What are you going to do? More killing won’t help anything,” he argued, as he followed me into my room.
