First Hunt [Diablo Falls]

by Alexis Calder

  "Shouldn't you be yelling at me right now? Or sending me away? Or throwing me into a dungeon?" I asked.

  "Do you want me to throw you in a dungeon?" Jackson asked.

  I bit down on my lower lip, not trusting myself to answer that. "I'm a hunter."

  "You said you're an ex-hunter," he said.

  "Still, why are you all being so nice to me?" I asked.

  "Would it make you feel better if I tied you to the bed and forced you to get some rest?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

  "Uh..." My head went straight to me tied up with Jackson's naked body on top of me. What the hell was wrong with me? "No. Of course not."

  "You're not in any shape to leave yet. Especially with no shoes and no supplies. Have a look around," he opened his arms and gestured to the landscape, "there's nothing for miles."

  For the first time, I took in where I was. He was right. Behind me was the small house I'd come from. Nearby, there was a barn and in the distance I could see stables and fences for animals. Farther still there were cows in the field. The mountain range I'd been walking toward towered in front of us, close enough by car but likely a good day's walk from here.

  The wind kicked up the dirt under us and the grass swayed. I wasn't prepared at all for surviving in a landscape like this. Especially with no homes or towns in view. I'd had survival training but even I knew I'd only last a few days without a pack.

  "Come back inside," Jackson said. "Nobody is going to hurt you."

  My jaw tensed as I clenched my teeth, sending a fresh wave of pain though me. I wasn't used to asking for help to begin with. Getting help from the creatures I was taught to kill was even harder. I'd made a promise to myself when I walked away from the compound. I wasn't going to kill for no reason. I was going to let everyone and everything have a chance to prove they were good. I had to believe there was good in this world even if it came from supernatural creatures. If I allowed my family's prejudice to influence me here, I was no better than them.

  With a nod, I started walking toward the house.

  Chapter 9

  Violet

  The sound of a car on gravel made me stop at the door. I turned to see a black Escalade with tinted windows. I froze as blood rushed to my ears. Those cars had escorted me to events thought out my childhood. Taking me to trainings in other counties, driving us to field trips and events in the city.

  "You expecting anyone?" Jordan asked.

  Thunder sounded in the distance as dark storm clouds rolled in. Suddenly, the peaceful calm of the ranch had turned to rival the churning in the pit of my stomach.

  I couldn't tear my eyes away as I watched Jackson and his brothers walk toward the newcomer.

  The doors opened and two men in suits exited the car. I held my breath as my father lowered his sunglasses to look at me before replacing them over his eyes. His second in command, a man I'd grown up referring to as Uncle Max, was just as ruthless and cold as my dad. The ran the whole compound and each of them had more confirmed kills of supernatural creatures than any hunter alive.

  "Hello there," Jackson said. "How can we help you gentlemen today?"

  "We're here to reclaim what's ours." My father lifted his chin toward me.

  All three of the shifters turned to look at me. I knew I looked like a terrified child because that was how I felt every time I was around my father. I couldn't go back there. Especially not with him. I thought for sure if I walked away, he'd let me go. He could make up some story about me dying in the field.

  Clenching my jaw I silently cursed Cade. He'd returned. He'd told them where I was last seen. Cade must have talked to others. If he stuck to my plan, there was no way my dad would be here. It made me wonder how he punished Cade if he wanted to paint me as a hero worthy of returning rather than a failure.

  Jackson's brow furrowed and I pleaded with my eyes, trying to tell him how badly I didn't want to leave with these men. We hardly knew each other and while I had saved him from a demon, he'd taken a chance on me when I was stranded and alone. All I'd done was bring him more trouble.

  Jackson moved in front of me, his brothers following suit. "You must be lost, sir. We've nothing on our ranch that belongs to someone else."

  "The girl behind you," Max said. "She's ours and you'll return her."

  Jackson turned to look at me again. I was still frozen in terror. After everything I'd suffered at the hands of that man, I couldn't bring myself to stand up to him. I wasn't in the right place to think clearly. I needed to talk myself into this.

  "She's a human being," Jake said. "I might have skipped a lot of school as a teenager but even I learned that you can't own another person."

  "She's my daughter." My father pushed his jacket aside, revealing the gun in his holster. "As a shifter, I'm sure you understand the importance of family."

  Jordan took a step forward. "I know you're not threatening us."

  "A ranch run by shifters. Right outside of Diablo Falls. You think we haven't been watching you for years? One phone call and this whole place will be swarming with hunters," my dad said.

  Jackson's hands balled into fists and his whole body tensed. He was preparing for a fight and I knew he didn't stand a chance against the silver bullets in my dad's gun.

  After a deep breath, I walked around the brothers and faced my nightmare of a father. "I'm not your property. I left on my own free will. Moreover, these three men have helped me and I've seen no signs of them being supernatural. You hurt them, I'll go to the council so fast it'll make your head spin."

  "I own the council," my dad said.

  "Then go boss them around," I said. "You don't own me."

  "You stay here with them and you're dead to me," he said.

  "You don't think I already knew that?" I said. "I don't want to be a hunter. I don't want any of it."

  He rested his hand on the gun. "You sure you're taking their side?"

  I took a step forward, anger drowning out my fear. "I'm not taking anyone's side other than my own."

  "You're here with three shifters and you expect us to believe that you're not taking sides?" Max said with a laugh. "You're worse than Monica."

  I winced at the name of the last woman who was cast out of the hunters. She'd fallen in love with a vampire and when she'd come to her family for their blessing, they'd feigned support so she could lead them to her lover. They staked him. She took her life the next day. It was a tragic story that was supposed to act as a warning. Instead, it made me realize how little room there was to accept anyone or anything that was different.

  "Even if I was sleeping with any of them - or all of them - it's none of your damn business. I should have left years ago but I was scared of you dragging me back. I'm not going back."

  Behind me I heard the shuffle of feed and someone cracked their knuckles. They were preparing to fight for me if needed. "These men didn't even know me but they offered help. Good exists in this world, you just made sure I never saw it."

  "You're young, too idealistic." My father shook his head.

  Jackson and his brothers were standing on either side of me now, waiting. I had a feeling if I said the word, they'd take the hunters out.

  My father took his hand off his gun. He could sense it too. I had to fight back the urge to smile at watching him squirm. When he'd arrived, I thought for sure the shifters were at the disadvantage based on years of stories about my father's exploits. Now that I saw him backing down, I wondered how many of those stories were true.

  The tables were turned. Max and my father didn't look so sure of themselves. It gave me a rush of confidence that I'd never felt before. It felt dangerous, and heady. I was in control for the first time.

  I pushed in, taking a few steps closer. The shifters followed me, matching me step for step. "I don't belong to you. I will make my own choices. And you will leave. If you come back, if you hurt these men, you're going to regret every minute you spent beating me into submission and every minute you forced me to become the weapon I
am."

  For the first time in my life, I felt free. I had the skills to defend myself. I could fight with the best of them but I'd never been able to stand up to my own father.

  Next to me, a low growl came from Jackson. It intensified when his brothers joined in. All three of them were baring their teeth at my father.

  "Get the fuck out," I said.

  He looked like he wanted to say something but he didn't open his mouth. Instead, he stumbled as he turned and walked back to his car. Once he reached the door, he looked back at me. "I hope you know what you're getting in to. You thought life with us was bad, wait till you see what the life of a shifter whore is like."

  My face heated as shame and pain washed through me. There was a part of me that wasn't able to let go of him until that moment. "Better their whore than your daughter."

  "Never come home," he said.

  "It's not my home," I said.

  The doors of the Escalade slammed and the car backed up, making a three point turn on the gravel road. Then, it peeled away, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake.

  I stood statue still as I watched the cloud settle, the enormity of what I'd done weighing on me. I thought I'd feel relieved and in a way, I was. But there was an emptiness to feeling like you didn't belong anywhere. I knew I was walking away from home. I knew I could never return. Being told that to your face was different. Instead of making it my decision, my father stripped that away from me, making it about him. It should have been empowering to walk away. Now, I felt empty. Like a kid who'd been scolded. I wasn't a kid. I knew that. But how was I supposed to make this feeling go away?

  A warm hand settled onto the middle of my upper back. "You okay?"

  I turned to look at Jackson. "Yeah, maybe. Thank you." I looked at Jordan and Jake. "Thank you all for having my back. I owe you guys, big time."

  "You don't owe us shit," Jordan said.

  "He's right," Jake said. "We help our friends and we don't expect payment in return."

  "We just met," I said. "I'm a hunter."

  "You were a hunter. I'm pretty sure you just renounced it in front of Claude Mulligan," Jackson said.

  I winced at my father's name and the fact that Jackson knew who he was.

  "That's who that was?" Jake asked. "I always thought he'd be taller."

  "I kind of thought he'd be less of a douche," Jordan said.

  "And more of a badass," Jake said. "No offense, Violet."

  "None taken," I said, a smile on my face. "He did back down a lot quicker than I thought he would."

  "That's because he knows he can't handle three shifters," Jake said.

  "Or because he can't handle his daughter," Jackson said. "Can you imagine what the offspring of Claude Mulligan is capable of? You should have seen her with that demon. No fear. Just fight."

  "We'll have to spar one of these days," Jordan said with a wink. "I could use a challenge like you."

  "If you want a real challenge, you'll forget him and spar with me," Jake said.

  Jackson put his arm around me and guided me toward the front door. "Enough. She's not sparing with anyone until she's recovered. Bed. Now."

  Chapter 10

  Voilet

  I woke with a start, surprised to see that it was dark in the room now. How had I slept all day? Getting nearly crushed by a demon sure left me more tired than I expected.

  The door opened and I scooted myself up to sitting. "Hello?"

  Light from the hallway filtered in, framing Cory in the doorway. My heart pounded at the sight of her. She hadn't seemed as keen on my staying here during her chat with Jackson.

  "You're awake," she said.

  "Yeah," I said.

  "I'm glad you stuck around. You weren't in any shape to take off. Demon wounds aren't anything you should mess with. Especially for a human." She took a seat on the edge of the bed, cradling a small jar in her hands.

  "I heard you earlier," I said. "You should know that while I was born into a hunter family, I'm not a hunter."

  Her brow furrowed. "I've never met a hunter who was able to walk away."

  "How many hunters have you met?" I asked.

  "A few," she said. "They sometimes come through town. None of them last long."

  My stomach tightened. I didn't like what she was implying. "You know, we don't get to choose our parents."

  "They told me what you did today. That took a lot of courage." She unscrewed the lid. "I got this for you in town today. Hazel has the best healing salve in the world. You should feel better tomorrow."

  She dipped her fingers into the jar and reached for my face. I flinched and backed away from her.

  She smirked. "You know, if I wanted to hurt you, I'd have done it already. Besides, after today's performance, I'm pretty sure you're part of the family now."

  I swallowed against the lump in my throat. That was true. She'd managed to clean and dress me while I was completely passed out. I leaned closer so she could apply the salve. It stung when she touched it to my cheek and I winced.

  "It'll hurt for a few minutes but you'll feel better after that," she said.

  "Why are you helping me?" I asked. "Are you and Jackson?"

  She paused, her fingers hovering above my cheek. "The Jones boys are my cousins. Someone has to help keep them in check."

  Cousins. That made more sense. Even I could relate to that. Family was everything where I'd grown up. That wasn't my life anymore. They were all gone now. It was just me.

  Cori finished applying the slave and closed up the jar. She set it on the table next to the bed. "If it still hurts in the morning, use a little more."

  "Thanks," I said.

  "You sticking around a while?" she asked.

  "I'm not sure," I said.

  Cori stood. "If you do, you might need that again. Working on a ranch is harder than it looks in the movies."

  "I'm sure it is," I said.

  "And those boys," Cori said, "they've been through a lot. Don't play games with them if you can't deliver."

  My cheeks heated. Part of me wanted to ask what she thought I was going to do to them. Part of me wanted to deny the attraction I felt for the Jones' boys but I couldn't do it. The pull to them was animalistic. Especially for Jackson. It was as if I had no control over it. I wondered if she saw that.

  Cori didn't wait for me to say anything. She closed the door behind her leaving me alone in the dark bedroom.

  I sat in the bed for a while, waiting for the sting of the salve to fade. It didn't take long. As soon as it eased, I noticed the throbbing in my cheek lessened. I leaned back against the pillows and blinked into the darkness. After a few days of doing nothing but sleep, I was restless. Plus, I couldn't get the meeting with my father out of my mind. I had to do something.

  Tossing the blankets aside, I stood and made my way out of the room. The house was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight flooding in through the large windows. It was peaceful here, quiet. I could see why people enjoyed living in the middle of nowhere. How was Jackson willing to give all this up? It was true that I didn't know the work involved in running a ranch, but it had to be worth the peace you got in return.

  Then, I remembered that he mentioned they couldn't afford to keep it running. I frowned, feeling terrible for them. He never said they didn't want to keep the ranch alive, just that they couldn't afford to. There had to be a way to help the ranch survive. When he woke up, I was going to ask him about it. I lost my family and my home. I didn't want him to lose his.

  I padded down the hall and stopped in front of a series of six closed doors. I wondered which ones were the bedrooms and if all the brothers were asleep in them. Maybe they slept naked. I bit down on my lip, silently cursing myself for going right to sex again.

  Quietly, I pushed open the door that I knew led to the bathroom. I'd been in here a few times and the huge antique clawfoot tub was the stuff of fantasies. Everyone else was sleeping. What better time to spend an hour in the water?

  I
started filling the tub then dug around in the cabinets to see if I could luck into some bubble bath or oils. Jackpot. A half-full bottle of lavender bubble bath was stashed under the sink. As I poured some in the tub I wondered if it was one of the boys who enjoyed baths or if this had been left by a girlfriend. Either way, I was grateful.

  I eased into the steamy tub, sinking low into the water. The tub was so large I was able to stretch out. Leaning my head back, I settled into a comfortable position. The water covered my chest and the bubbles were nearly to my neck. My feet didn't even touch the other end of the tub as I stretched out. The tub was probably large enough for two. Squeezing my thighs together, I tried to get sex off on my mind. This wasn't why I was here.

  The scent of lavender hung in the air and the small bathroom was a little steamy from the hot water. If it weren't for the fact that my life was an absolute mess right now, I'd say this was the start to a very good day. But right now, I didn't know what today was going to bring.

  The door opened and I yelped, covering my chest with my arms and pulling my knees up.

  Jackson stood in the doorway in his boxers. His dark hair was mussed and a thin sheen of sweat covered his muscular chest. He was everything I hoped he would be without clothes on.

  "You okay?" he asked, his voice gruff from sleep.

  "Couldn't sleep," I said.

  He walked over to the tub. "You found Jordan's bath bubbles."

  "Jordan has good taste," I said.

  "Actually, I lied. They're mine. I was just trying to sound cool," he said.

  "You're fond of baths?" I asked.

  He smiled then dipped his hand into the tub, scooping up a handful of bubbles. "They're good stress relief. I'm sure it's needed after today. You doing okay?"

  "I guess," I said. "I planned on leaving and not returning but the option was stripped from me. It's like he had to take that last ounce of my freedom, you know?"