Masters of the Hunt: Fated and Forbidden

by Sarra Cannon

  The water fell from the cliff and crashed thunderously against the rocks next to them. The sound of it was surprisingly soothing and served to release the tension that had crept up on her.

  "Who will teach me the ways of the Dresdan?"

  "You will learn them as you ascend." His lips meshed with the delicate skin on her throat. "Through the blood."

  "As I am learning now..." the words left her lips as his tongue glided against her throbbing vein. She tilted her head to the side, allowing him easy access.

  "And as you will learn them indefinitely..." His fangs dropped, cutting through the skin at the same time.

  She fell back against him as he fed slowly and long from her. Minutes into the feeding and she knew that he'd breached her mind and now delved within her memories. He liked to ride them like a wave, as if they were his own. Shards of light flashed before her eyes as specks of the previous nights rushed through her: Her rationale behind not letting him get between herself and District 5; her anger toward him for hiding in the shadows and allowing her to believe that he was dead; her blind rage against the Dresdan Soldiers who’d threatened her life, as well as her lover's existence.

  It dawned on her that she'd do anything for Vicq. She would kill for Vicq. Even live a life on the run to enjoy secret, coveted moments like these. When she'd become his Donor, she'd given up everything. In return, she'd achieved some semblance of freedom and the courage to stand up to those who would—and had—harmed her.

  She didn’t know how much time had passed, but her knees grew weak. Vicq sensed this and extracted his fangs from her vein. He swiped his tongue across the holes to seal them and gently turned her around to face him.

  "The feeling is mutual," he said, eyes blood-red and bright from nourishment. "I would kill for you, too."

  The lovemaking that followed was slow and sensual, just as he'd fed from her. With only the sound of the waterfall crashing behind them, they succumbed to all their desires, forgetting their troubles, if just for that moment.

  Chapter 13

  Elaina pulled a handful of hotdogs, several bags of chips and nuts, and an assortment of snacks on the counter of the convenience shop. The man behind the register gawked at her as she slid two gallons of water next to them.

  Being on the run entailed fast, quick, unhealthy drive-up-and-go food. She didn't know when they would stop again since Vicq insisted on taking the roads less traveled. Just an ounce of Vicq's blood would have satisfied her real hunger, but the processed food she was about to partake in would keep her content until she reached sanctuary for a more peaceful change. Since the attack back at the warehouse, she'd been ravenous to feed like that again, but what better way to practice the will to resist temptation than during one's transformation.

  "Twenty-nine dollars and eighty-one cents," the cashier demanded.

  Elaina handed the man a fifty. "How far is the nearest town?"

  "Nickels is fifty miles northeast. After Nickels, you’ll reach the mountains."

  "The mountains, huh?" Vicq had said that they were close.

  He handed her back some coins and wrinkled bills. "Yeah, are you a tourist? Where are you from?"

  "Yes, I'm a tourist." She averted her eyes, stuffing the money into her pockets.

  The clerk's eyes swept over her items. "Do you need a bag?"

  Elaina's gaze trailed across the pile of food. She bit her lip, feeling a bit of regret. Vicq had instructed her to bring back lunch only, but instead, she'd treated herself to a picnic. "Um, yes. Of course, I do need a bag."

  After thanking the clerk for bagging her items, she headed for the door and braced herself for another few hours or so in the Lamborghini. Warmth coated her skin as she exited the store. She'd forgotten how inviting East coast weather could be. The humid mist felt good against her, and provided her with comfort, if only for a few seconds.

  In this type of climate, her Texas-native parents would've been stretched out on hammocks in the shade. She grinned just thinking about them. Her gun-toting dad would have been riding around on the lawn mower in an attempt to keep the grass on his two acres of land in check. Had she listened to their warnings and remained in small town Texas like the rest of her childhood friends, she might not have been in this situation.

  Her eyes immediately honed in on Vicq, who knelt down to replace the air cap on a tire just as she’d walked out of the store. Dusk had settled less than an hour ago, and she had suggested that he stay in the car to reserve his energy.

  Elaina sighed and shook her head. How on earth did they put up with one another? They were both stubborn and did the opposite of what the other asked. Still, she loved him and wondered how she'd ever managed to be without him for so long. She knew she'd met her match when he’d succeeded in talking his way out of the execution she’d planned to dole out to him so very long ago. Persuasion was something he seemed to excel at.

  As if he knew what she was thinking, Vicq looked in her direction. Even now, his gaze showed desire for her. It didn't take making love to him to prove that a passionate, loving soul existed deep within him. Because of what he was, he’d had to develop a thick skin. And the loving soul got lost sometimes. More often than it probably should have. Elaina was humbled that she had the ability to bring out the virtue in him in a world of evil. A world where his enemies wanted him dead. In spite of it all, it took a determined fighter to live. Vicq was that fighter.

  Elaina stepped out onto the curb, and a van lurched out of nowhere.

  Dust rose up and blinded her. She jerked back onto the walkway, and the bag slipped from her fingers. Something snatched her by the waist, taking her by force. In the blink of an eye, she knew what had happened. She'd been caught. Her body was dragged into the interior of the van, and someone threw her against the side panel.

  "That Dresdan vamp is out there!"

  "Close the fucking door!"

  Their shouts drowned out the blood rushing through her veins, pounding between her ears. Panic set in as her heart fluttered in her chest. In the shock of it all, she'd forgotten to breathe. As her breath rushed out of her, the door was slammed closed. They'd locked her up like a prisoner in a cell.

  Elaina opened her eyes just in time to see her captors—three of them. District 5 trackers, all of them. The mark emblazoned on their necks told her that. The biggest one lurched toward her, and she thrust her boot out at him, smashing the bottom of it against his face. The other grabbed her arms and legs as the man she’d kicked groaned out in pain, holding his bleeding nose.

  In the struggle to break free of their hold, the van pitched forward. Her heart dipped down into her stomach. They'd finally found her. She wasn't ready to die. Not today. Not any day. Not when the one person she wanted the most had promised a lifetime of happiness, even if they had to fight like hell to earn those moments.

  She broke loose and jumped for the sliding van doors.

  "Are you gonna open the doors and jump, Elaina?" The gruff voice of the big one she kicked in the face stalled her actions. The bottom half of his face was bloody. "Out of a fleeing van? You want to die, don't you?"

  Elaina swung around and glared. The interior of the van was so small they were hunched over, but they still stood on the ready to subdue her. One of them had a long, thick rope. Just like the others who'd tried to capture her back at the Courthouse after work.

  "Where are you taking me?"

  Bloody Face guffawed and snorted. "I think you know the answer to that question. Don't you know where you belong? Don't even act like you don't know the rules, babe." He turned to his colleagues. "Tie her up."

  She sidestepped the man with the rope and thrust him headfirst into the door.

  "Grab the guns," the maniac who drove spat.

  Certainly, they didn't mean to shoot her to death.

  The van swayed as it sped down the road at a high speed. They had to have been going over eighty miles an hour. If she could get to the driver, maybe...

  Catching her off guard, o
ne of the men shoved her against the panel once again.

  "Why are you fighting? There's no escaping now." Bloody Face picked up a needle from a suitcase. The other drew closer with the rope.

  If given the choice, she would never choose to die in the presence of an enemy. She wouldn't allow them the victory of watching her slow death. It may have been easier if they'd shot her dead on sight back at the store.

  She backed away until her ass hit the opposite wall. "I'm not a dog, and you won't tie me up."

  The tracker thumped the needle, readied it for insertion, and held it up for his inspection. She was familiar with the drug. District 5 used it all the time on anyone and everyone they wanted to, all for terrible reasons. The pale yellow liquid inside would render her unconscious for hours.

  "Well, we won't tie you up, then. We'll just put you to sleep."

  A loud boom sounded overhead. They all looked up to see the dent in the ceiling of the van.

  "Vicq!" Her scream pierced her dry throat.

  The van swerved again, and their bodies plummeted to the floor. A string of curses flowed from her attackers' lips.

  Elaina stumbled forward on her knees to the front of the van. Before she could reach the driver, Vicq thrust his arm inside and grabbed hold of the steering wheel. The driver yanked the cigarette lighter from the burner with one hand while steering with the other.

  Elaina cringed at the sizzle when the lighter made contact with Vicq's arm. The smell of burnt vampire flesh filled the air. She rushed forward and grabbed the driver by the neck. He held his body firmly in the seat as she tried to impede his control of the van.

  "Get her off me." The driver attempted to shrug her off. Even bent his head to try and bite her arm.

  Her scalp burned as one of her captors grabbed a fistful of her hair from behind. He yanked violently, pulling on her ponytail. She turned around and elbowed him across the chin. Teeth and blood flew up into the air, but she didn't have time to finish him off. They were trying to kill Vicq.

  Vicq stood atop the hood and punched through the front windshield, causing the glass to shatter in all directions. Shards of it flew back into the back of the van, striking her bare extremities.

  Vicq's eyes had transformed to blood-red, and fangs shot through his gums as he went into attack mode.

  The driver swung at him with one arm while still trying to control the steering wheel with the other.

  Vicq tugged the driver by the hair. "Stop the fucking van!"

  A rope circled her neck and jerked her back. Her wrists were then tied behind her. The thing was wrapped around her so that the harder she yanked, the more she choked herself.

  The van halted abruptly. Vicq had the driver by the neck. The driver's face grew just as red as Vicq’s, but for different reasons. The driver's chin hit his chest and he slumped over.

  Another struggle broke out as Bloody Face rushed forward and fought with Vicq to keep him out of the van.

  Scraping sounds across the floor directed her line of sight away from Vicq. A small launcher was being dragged from its case.

  "No!" She scrambled forward and kicked her feet out, trying to trip the tracker.

  He swung his arm back and her body flung across the van so hard that her heart stopped. Pain crept through her back and chest as she heaved in an attempt to breathe again.

  Elaina looked up and locked eyes with Vicq. Go. She wanted to tell him to flee, but no words would escape her lips. Her mouth filled with fluid, but it wasn't the water she so desperately needed. The thick liquid tasted of metallic and salt. It was her own blood.

  Time seemed to stop as Vicq stood atop the stalled van. His eyes flicking from her to the mini rocket launcher that was sure to kill him.

  Go! Now! Her mind screamed and pleaded with him.

  "Put a bigger hole in his gut this time!"

  The explosion from the weapon rocked the van. Sparks of light and smoke from the launch nearly blinded her. But she did glimpse Vicq's form tumble from the van with smoke surrounding him.

  God, no! Please don't let him be hurt. Gunpowder crept up her nostrils. The tears burned her eyes and her head swirled like a tornado. The sound of a roaring engine thrummed through her eardrums. Her heart fluttered in an uneven rhythm. She couldn’t breathe. Too much chaos and pain. She could barely keep her eyelids from falling over her vision.

  Hard, cold hands pushed at her violently. The back of her head hit hard metal. Someone stabbed a needle in her neck. Her veins grew frigid and cold. The voices grew distant...

  Chapter 14

  Vicq came to in a ditch. Mud and dirt caked the side of his face. He gritted his teeth as pain and rage coursed through him. The rocket had barely grazed his side, but the heat from the blaze had scorched him enough. If it weren’t for the shadow that was cast over him from the trench, he probably would have simmered to death under the waning sun.

  He teleported from the ditch to the highway and looked both ways. As he’d thought, the lanes were desolate. Elaina and the van were long gone. Glancing up at the dusky sky, he estimated that almost an hour had passed. She could've been anywhere by now. Bile rose up in his throat and he bent over to catch his breath.

  There was something small and hard gripped in his palm. He uncurled his fingers and revealed the dog tags within them. They belonged to the driver he'd choked to death. His skin was cut where the chain had dug in across his wrist from pulling it. He held it high for his inspection and notated the numbers embedded in the surface. The 5 symbol. And something that looked like a series of digits followed by dashes.

  He sincerely hoped that this was what he needed to find out where they were taking Elaina. He'd lost her once before. Damn it! How could he have let this happen again? He'd failed her.

  His gaze flowed to the evening sky once again. Just as he prepared to teleport, the small suitcase she'd brought along flashed in his mind. He had yet to ask her what it was, what the evidence was that she’d mentioned, but knew that it had to be something important that he should retrieve.

  — —

  Thick trees and boulders heavily guarded the sanctuary. Black Mountain was a favorite attraction of tourists, but few ever crossed over to the small, dense region that Vicq’s coven members called home. The mountains were too steep, the edges too rough for climbing where they lived. In addition, cougars were too ravenous, black bears were too aggressive, and the mountain lions too bloodthirsty.

  Vicq barged through a wooden door to enter the first cave. A few of his men were huddled over computer screens when he teleported into the main study. They hissed, revolted at his condition. Maybe he should have taken a dip in the lake first, but he simply didn't have time for such niceties.

  "What happened to you?" Brandon stood first, rushing over to offer aid. The red-haired, green-eyed geek had been a doctor in his human life. The life-saving surgeries he'd performed hadn't been enough to escape from his unexpected fate—life as a Dresdan.

  Vicq shook his head and held up his hand to ward off Brandon's attempt. "I'm fine. Three District trackers have Elaina. I need your help."

  Eli, the youngest scientist in their sanctuary, looked up from the keyboard. "You mean the woman you've been protecting?"

  "Yes. The woman I will bring here to live safely." His head swam with so many flashbacks and images he thought he was hallucinating. He reached out to grab the edge of a table to keep from falling over.

  "Do you need assistance?" This time, Brandon placed a supporting hand to his shoulder.

  "Yes." He diverted his eyes away from Brandon. Admitting defeat was something he'd never been good at.

  Brandon pressed at Vicq's injured side. "Eli, can you call an aid to get my toolkit?"

  "Not that kind of assistance." Vicq cringed as the former medical student probed at him. The singed flesh on his right side burned like a blaze, but he ignored the pain. Instead, he focused on how he'd get Elaina back.

  Taking in a deep breath, Vicq jerked away from Brandon. He slammed the
dog tags down onto the table in front of Eli, who'd just called for an aid on his cell phone. "Can you find out what these codes mean?"

  Eli lifted the tags from the table and held them up for inspection. His eyes moved from the inscription to Vicq. "I suspect these are coordinates to a District research facility."

  "Then get me the address. Now!"

  "You don't mean to go there, do you?" Logan, who'd been gawking all along, shot up from his seat. "That's ludicrous. They'll fry your ass like southern fried chicken. We've got plans underway to attack in two months, but they're premature plans. We're not ready to stand up—”

  Vicq glared at him through narrowed eyes. "I don't give a damn about plans underway. I need to find her. Tonight."

  "They could be anywhere, Vicq." Eli turned to his computer station and drummed at the keyboard.

  "If I can catch them before they reach that facility..."

  "You're running after a District tracker. How do you know she isn't against us?" Logan rushed around the table to stand between him and Eli.

  Vicq’s fangs ripped violently from his gums. "Don't fucking question me!"

  His outburst caused Logan to put some more space between them. The room was dead silent as they scrambled to conform to his orders.

  "If I have the right location, it seems to be two hundred miles south of here." Eli swung around in his chair, his eyes widened. "Washington, DC. One of District 5's main facilities."

  Vicq's heart jumped with hope. It wasn't her exact location, but at least he knew where they were headed. That would send him in the right direction.

  "The chances of finding her are one in a million." Brandon came to join them around the computer screen. "Not to mention, every vampire that's ever set foot on the District properties that we've been monitoring has fried."

  "We can get to her before they get to their facility. You forget, brother, that my chances are increased. Although, not completed, I share a bond with her. I can find her, if I'm close enough."