Max pushed between us, his large frame blocking my view of the paramedic. “She said she’s fine.”
“I’d like the woman to answer for herself.” He paused for a moment to look at Max. “You will also need to be checked over. That cut doesn’t look good.”
“I’m fine,” Max said.
“I need help,” Lana called, popping her head out of the van. “Her pulse is rapidly declining.”
My heart stopped and my stomach lurched into my throat as my worst fears came to life. Lana had warned me not to bring Ashley in—Max had as well. But once again, I’d done what I wanted to do and hadn’t worried about the consequences. Now, Ashley may pay the ultimate price for my selfishness.
Seeing my reaction, Lana turned her back to us then whispered low enough that only the other hunters and I were able to hear, “Go.” When I didn’t move, she added. “Your friend is fine. I was getting rid of him for you.”
The paramedic glanced at me one more time before rushing past me and disappearing into the back of the van.
Guilt consumed me as I quickly walked away, not knowing if my brother, father, and best-friend would be okay.
Max caught up with me as I made the walk of shame back into the compound. As soon as we were through the gate, the guards closed it behind us and announced our arrival into their security earpiece microphone things.
I subtly checked that my blood pouch was still hidden from sight as we made our way up to the entrance, where we were met with two very pissed off Osmond parents. “You need to come with us,” Gina said to me then looked up at Max. “And you...” She glared at him. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Feeling like shit for letting Max get involved in my crap, I looked up at him apologetically.
He gave me a small smile, letting me know he was still okay with me.
It was hard to imagine he was the same guy who’d wanted to gut me a few days ago, and now he was going against the code to help me. Was it because he felt guilty for almost single-handedly condemning the world for an eternity? I couldn’t squash the feeling there was more to it than that. He didn’t have to care. And Max did care. I could see it in the way he looked at me.
Something had changed that day in the gym when he finally broke me. And by the look on Gina’s face, I may not have the opportunity to find out what.
Gina led me through the expansive halls, into a section of the compound where I had never been before, finally ending up in an office of sorts. The walls were lined with bookcases containing old, leather bound books that peaked my interest. I wasn’t a reader, but I couldn’t help but feel a connection, wondering what was written on the pages.
Gina didn’t give me a chance to ponder the strange pull I felt toward the books as she gestured to the chair in front of the desk and barked, “Sit.”
My ass had barely touched the seat when she opened her tirade against me, her bleach blonde perfectly sculptured hair falling out of place, as she placed her hands on the desk, leaning forward to assert her power. “Do you have any idea what you have done tonight? The danger you not only imposed on yourself but the Society as well? Not to mention the mess Lana now has to deal with the paramedics and possibly even the police if they saw those damn fangs of yours.”
She shook her head, anger radiating from her. “We forbade you from going out, yet you went out anyway. You have little to no respect for the code, and your impulsiveness is going to get you killed. And if you do, then your family is as good as dead, because we cannot fight this evil on our own forever. The demons are getting stronger; they’re more resilient to our magic. They will win—if you allow them to.”
Sitting in the chair with “Mama” Osmond looming over me made me want to sink into myself. Everything she was saying was true, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I was exactly who I was supposed to be—impulsive, reckless, and defiant.
I already had the skills and power to take on the vampires on my own, and I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t use me. I was a killing machine, and all they wanted was to wrap me up in a bubble until it was time for the huntress to take over.
I could feel her inside of me, begging to be freed, and I wondered just how powerful I was to become.
“I can tell you don’t agree with me,” she continued. “But know this. You might think you’re invincible with the vampires, but it’s not them we are worried about. When—not if—the demons break into this world, you won’t stand a chance against them. We need the huntress. The fate of the world depends on her.”
Fire burned inside of me, hating the way she tried to demean me. “I understand. But tonight is on you. I asked too many times if we could bring in my father, and every single time I was shut down.” I stood, sick to death of being spoken down to. “All you needed to do was go to his home, pick him up, and bring him back here. But no, you’re all too concerned with keeping the Society a secret and only bringing in those you can use to further your cause. By the way, you would’ve missed finding me if I hadn’t tried to become a vampire and your hunters hadn’t been there to stop me. It was only because Finn broke your Society’s protocols that you found me.” I took a step toward her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean up my wound before it gets infected and your chosen one dies of sepsis.” I stormed out of the room, leaving Gina with her mouth wide open in utter shock that someone had stood up to her.
And damn, it felt good.
I’d finally gotten a chance to say what I wanted to without being interrupted. I just wished it didn’t need to be this way. We were all working toward the same cause, and we needed to work together.
Rather than going to medical, I made my way back up to my room, closed the door behind me, and sank against it. I sighed, completely over this shit and worried about my family, hoping they were all okay. There was no way I was getting out of this place again, so I could kiss goodbye the idea of visiting them in the hospital.
Pushing off the door, I stripped off my shirt, threw the pouch of blood onto my bed, grateful it was still intact, and headed toward the bathroom. I slowly lowered my pants, half afraid I still had a giant hole in my thigh that I just couldn’t feel.
But sure enough, all that remained was a little puncture wound that was on its way to being fully healed. The blood covering my leg was another story.
I stripped off the remainder of my clothing and jumped in the shower. The water flowed over my body, turning the floor into a crimson pool.
Tonight had been a disaster. Still, we had saved my father, but… I closed my eyes. The memory of my mother standing on the road consumed my thoughts. She’d look so real—alive. But that was stupid. I’d seen her lifeless body. I’d said my goodbyes. She hadn’t really been there. It was just my mind playing tricks on me, wanting to go back to a better time when my mother was there to fix all my problems.
There was no fixing me.
Even though I was surrounded by a group of people, I was on my own.
Getting out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and headed back into my room just as someone knocked on my door.
I rolled my eyes as a fire lit within me, prepared to face whatever crap Lana’s parents were going to throw my way. I marched over to the door and flung it open, my eyes going wide when I saw Kade standing before me.
14
Kade’s gaze swept over me, but it no longer made me want to jump him. “Sorry,” he said. “I can come back in a minute.”
I sighed as calmness swept over me. Kade always had my back—even if his intentions weren’t very clear. “It’s fine. Come in.”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I held the door wide open for him.
Nervously, Kade made his way inside, and I shut the door behind him.
“What is it?” I asked.
He turned around to face me. “Uh, do you want to go get dressed first?”
I rolled my eyes again. “Give me a sec.” I disappeared into the walk-in
closet and quickly pulled on a pair of shorts just long enough to cover my wound, then slipped on a tank before returning into the room. “Better?”
Kade sat on the couch and did a little bounce up and down. The guy really liked my couch. “Finn asked me to let you know that he’s gone to the hospital with them all and he’ll call you as soon as he has any information.”
I let out an exaggerated gasp. “Finn’s violating the code again? What will the Society think?”
Kade chuckled. “You really don’t agree with them, do you?”
I sat on the seat beside him and put my feet up on the coffee table in front of me. “Not when it concerns the safety of those I care about. I get that they’re all about the bigger picture, but would it really hurt to save a few extra innocent lives in the process? I didn’t even need to be the one to retrieve them.”
“Yeah, it probably would’ve turned out a little better if someone else had gone to collect your dad.”
He meant well, but it still pissed me off. Mostly because I was the one who’d endangered them with my stupid hallucinations of my dead mother. “My father wasn’t at home, so you guys wouldn’t have known where to find him. And lucky he wasn’t because there were a bunch of vamps who had torn our home apart. Which reminds me.” I twisted around to face him. “There was a vampire that wasn’t like the rest of them…” I trailed off as Kade’s gaze landed on my thigh. “I’m fine.” I tried to pull down my shorts to cover what was left of my wound, but they were riding up while I was sitting down.
“You should probably get that seen to.”
I raised a brow. “Thirty minutes ago, there was a hole almost right through my leg. Now there’s a pea-size gash, and you think I need someone else to fix me?”
He chuckled again then slouched back in the seat. “I keep forgetting you’re like one of them now.”
“I think you’re the only one.”
He rolled his head to the side. “They’re all still treating you like you’re their queen? It was pretty ridiculous having you sit up on stage at a table by yourself.”
“If I was queen, things would run a little differently around here. All I am to them is a vessel they have to keep safe until my eighteenth birthday when the huntress will take over my body and mind, and I will cease to exist.” I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “What’s not to look forward to?”
Kade drew his brows together. “What do you mean you will cease to exist?”
I frowned. “Haven’t you heard? It’s apparently all part of the prophecy.”
Worry lines creased his forehead. “That can’t be right. Why would they have you training so hard if it was all pointless?”
I shrugged then leaned my head back, resting it against the couch as I looked up at the ceiling. “Probably to keep my body in peak form for the huntress.”
A knock sounded at the door, and Kade jumped to his feet. “I’ll get it.” He opened the door.
“What are you doing here?” Max asked, frustration brimming in his tone.
Great. The guy was in one of his moods again. Just what I needed.
“Talking to Kali,” Kade said, sounding a little puzzled.
Max strode into the room, and Kade closed the door behind him.
Still resting my head against the couch, I looked up at Max, who stood in front of me. “Medical wants to see you.”
“For this?” I pointed toward the pea-size crater in my thigh that had since reduced again.
He shook his head. “No. They want to assess you after the accident and you know… your little feast.”
I lifted my head. “They can wait.” I scanned him for any sign of trauma. The gash on his face was barely visible, and his movements were no longer stiff. “You’re looking better.”
Kade returned to his spot beside me, completely ignorant to the stares Max was throwing his way. “Those guys in medical can heal pretty much anything. We have Orphelia to thank for that.”
Max folded his arms across his chest, looking more than a little agitated. “Where’s the… you know?”
I scrunched up my face. “No, I don’t know.”
Max groaned. “Mason’s stuff.” He raised his brow.
Oh. The vamp blood. I wasn’t sure why he didn’t want Kade knowing about it, but I appreciated that he was being careful. The fewer people who knew about my blood stash, the better.
“You should probably put it away.”
“I can take it to him if you want,” Kade offered, completely oblivious to what we were really talking about.
I bit down on my smile as I stood, imagining what Mason’s reaction would be to having his favorite bottle filled with vampire blood. “Thanks. But it can wait ’til he gets back.” I grabbed the hiking pouch off the bed, shielding it with my body, then disappeared into the closet. I closed the door behind me and searched for a good place to hide it.
There was none. The shelves were pretty much bare, so all I could do was shove it on the top shelf and throw a few items of clothing on it.
Hoping no one would have any reason to search through my belongings, I headed back into the room, where I found Lana waiting with Kade and Max.
I sighed. “I guess you also want to give me a lecture about my latest screwup.”
Lana smiled as she walked toward me. “Nope. I think I’ll leave that to my parents and Orphelia. But first, I thought we could go down to the mess hall and grab something to eat because we all know how much you enjoyed the banquet meal.”
“Something tells me I’m not going to enjoy yours any more.” I quickly added, “No offense.” The truth was, I wasn’t the slightest bit hungry after all the blood I’d consumed, but if agreeing to eat Lana’s food would prolong the inevitable wrap across my knuckles, I was all for it.
Lana rolled her eyes. “You’ll learn to love my food as much as the others in the group have.”
I bit down on my smile, knowing what the others ate was far from what Lana thought they were having.
Kade stood behind her and mouthed, “I’ll get you the good stuff.” Then said out loud, “Lana’s food does grow on you.”
The corner of Max’s lips tipped up the slightest, and I would’ve missed it if I hadn’t been so attentive to every single little thing he did. Max clearly switched out Lana’s food as Kade did, and I obviously spent way too much time watching him when I should’ve been getting everyone out of my room and away from my blood stash.
With my phone tightly in my hand, the four of us made our way down to the cafeteria, and I was relieved to find we were the only ones there. It was after two in the morning, and most of the compound residents were probably in bed sleeping off the night’s festivities—or plotting a way to punish me for going against orders.
Still, I had gotten what I wanted and would take any punishment they would throw my way. Now, all I had to worry about was if my father, Mason, and Ash were going to be okay.
Walking into the kitchen, I glanced at my phone as if by sheer will Finn would call with an update. But just like the last few times I’d looked, there were no messages.
“Watching it isn’t going to make it ring.” Lana grabbed a bottle of Kombucha out of her special fridge. “He’ll call when he has news to tell.”
“Or he’ll be an ass and make me sweat as payback.”
Lana smiled then set the bottle on the bench and grabbed four glasses out of the cupboard. “Finn’s not like that. He wouldn’t do that to you.”
“You know we’re talking about the same guy who made me think he was a monster since he disappeared.”
“That’s protocol,” she said because breaking the code was never an option.
I glanced over at Max, wondering why he had so easily broken the rules for me tonight. Kade had already proven that rules were made to be broken, but Max? I couldn’t figure the guy out.
One second, he acted as if the very sight of me drove him to want to murder me. Then the next he was sneaking out, saving my ass, and keeping my juice bag a secret.
“Don’t just look at me,” Kade said. “Grab a plate, you lazy shit.”
“What are you doing?” Lana asked as Kade offloaded a couple of plates to Max. “That’s not on the approved list.”
“Come on,” Kade said. “Give us a pass for just one night. Kali deserves it. We deserve it.” He slipped his arm around my shoulders, positioning the plate of roast lamb directly in front of me. “Hasn’t the girl been through enough tonight?”
Scrunching up my face, I looked up at him and almost barked out a laugh when I saw his puppy dog eyes begging Lana for leniency, but I remembered he was doing this for me. And if I was going to have to shove something down my throat to throw Lana off the fact that I’d just drunk enough blood to fill me up for the next twenty-four hours, then I’d rather it was normal food instead of the crap she tried to force me to eat.
“Actually,” Lana started. “This is the exact time that Kali shouldn’t be filling herself with all those unnecessary carbohydrates and fifty other things that are wrong with everything on those plates.”
Not being able to bear the thought of whatever Lana had planned for me, I grabbed a chunk of lamb and shoved it in my mouth, almost gagging as I ripped into the cooked flesh.
Lana’s eyes widened then formed into a glare before quickly softening into the girl I was growing to love. “Just this once.” She spun around and grabbed the bottle and a glass. “But only if you drink a glass of Kombucha.” Lana smirked. “Your gut will thank you for it.”
The thought of having to down a glass of that disgusting placenta-looking drink made me want to gag again.
Max snatched the bottle from Lana’s hand, tipped it up to his mouth, and downed it.
“Hey.” Lana made a grab for the bottle, but she was too short.
Shadow Realms- The Complete Series Page 25
