by A. Z. Green
There are so many varying rumours and conspiracy theories about them, Kenna told me the ones she'd heard more than once.
That they killed halfbloods no matter what age. That they were sneakily hidden in various Packs. They could even be in this Pack. That they've been rumoured to be the ones responsible for humans going missing and being found dead suspiciously close to Pack territories; their bodies mutilated beyond recognition. A lot of their meat and organs eaten.
Jaz had pulled a face, the same face she pulled now, only it was much more subdued with Driver gazing searchingly at her.
Jaz didn't know much about the stories of the Cur Hunters. Lora hadn't written much else on them, and Jaz hadn't dared ask anyone, even Kenna. All she knew was they didn't sound like a pretty bunch. And she was certain that though people claimed they were a myth, they said it only through fear, to console themselves rather than facethe horrifying truth.
Lora had written the same thing Jaz had felt since she'd discovered this place had pretty questionable beliefs.
Something isn't right about what people here have been told. What they generally believe to be fact, just doesn't make sense.
I survived childbirth even though I'm a halfbreed. And so did my sister. Yet they say it isn't common. A rare thing. And yet Kenna tells me Cur Hunters are known for killing halfbreeds. A rumour perhaps, but one people are afraid to even voice. Why?
Because they were afraid who might be listening. They were afraid what that would mean, and how deep the scandal might run. And if someone like Kenna knew it, who wasn't anyone of particular status in the Pack as far as Jaz knew, then surely the Pack Leader knew something.
And that was why he'd hidden Lora's secret.
And why he's hiding mine.
And in the same way he was powerless to hide her 'disability' from Rufus, who swore he saw her hand Change into a claw before she slashed him with it -and look how quickly that 'rumour' spread- Nik couldn't have hidden Lora's secret for long.
Therefore, Lora could have been killed.
And the reason behind it, was suspiciously fueled by the knowledge of her pregnancy.
Jaz leant forward and looked at him with hard eyes. “Because I think she was a halfbreed and pregnant with your child. And someone didn't like that,” she mumbled.
Nik's eyes flickered with astonishment for a mere second before he studied her face intently. “Why would you think that?”
She didn't hesitate as she answered in a hushed voice. “Because I read her diary.”
He looked blatantly shocked this time. He sat up straight as if he'd been bitten in the ass by a viper. She stared at him, unsure if he would explode again. He didn't. He leant forward, even closer than before, his elbows now resting on the edge of her mattress. “How?”
“I found it. It was with some of the books you gave me. She must have hidden it in one of them.” He bobbed his head. “I didn't mean to read it. It just happened. And I've not read ALL of it. I-I just read the bits that weren't really personal and... that she...or you... wouldn't like me reading...” she was stuttering and blushing, remembering the vivid details of Lora's intimate moments with Nik.
He frowned at her for a moment as the cogs in his head groaned to life, before letting out a quiet, chesty laugh. She stared at him gob-smacked. He didn't say anything but he obviously knew what she was embarrassed about.
Her cheeks turned a luminous scarlet. She scowled, folding her arms. She then rubbed them comfortingly before adding, “I'm sure I'm one too.” He stopped smiling and scrutinized her face. They locked eyes. “And you know it's true. My hand transforming. The fact I haven't Changed. You're seeing the same signs you saw in Lora, minus the claw.” He looked away. “I think the Cur Hunters might have had something to do with her death,” she confessed.
His face was stiff, as solid and impenetrable as stone, but for the first time, his eyes betrayed him. Or maybe he was allowing only her to see inside the windows of his mind. “We can't talk about this here. But we will. I promise.”
She bobbed her head acceptingly. After a moment of thoughtful silence, she confided in him. “When I thought I'd Changed... I know it wasn't real but, it was like it was trying to tell me something. I didn't turn into what you turn into. I was different. I was smaller, more human than Beast. I doubt I had even half of your strength. And... and I was white-haired.”
His eyes widened a fraction.
Her last words had a profound effect on him. He knew what it meant. It meant she'd seen herself as his mate.
It was something very difficult for her to admit, amongst all the things she'd talked about with him. It was a small gesture that spoke volumes. Perhaps an invitation.
Whatever it was he wasn't one to hesitate.
She turned away closing her eyes. They flashed open in astonishment when she felt the bed dip down and his warm lips on hers. She stared at his face as it touched hers; his eyes closed tightly as he savoured the sensation of her lips entwined in his.
He waited for her to hit him, to push him away and shout a bunch of swearwords that would give a nun a heartattack. But she didn't.
She didn't stop him.
She didn't resist.
And that was the answer he'd been waiting for.
He kissed her again, gently and slowly, caressing her bottom lip between his.
Her response was subtle at first. Shy and uncertain. Then after the second kiss made her body- her defenses- weaken and yield to him, she slowly released the tension in her neck, letting her head dip back into his palm. Her eyelids closed, allowing him take her. Enabling herself to give in.
She answered his kiss with her own sensual, desiring one. His kiss then became stronger, and hungrier and she accepted it, opening her mouth wider until they weren't holding back anymore.
For a minute, they were lost in each others lips. Nik's hands cupped Jaz's face as he knelt on the edge of the bed, Jaz's fingers slithered down his back, and over his shaven head. The tiny bristles sent tingles through her fingers that shot through her body, concentrating in her groin.
But then she saw a flash of Lora's face in front of her eyes. Saw her anger and pain and immediately felt it and the magic disappeared like a balloon popping.
She released her kiss, pulled back, slapping him across the cheek harder than she'd intended. She hadn't intended to do it at all. She'd reacted. Wrongly. Irrationally.
She was doing that way too often nowadays.
He pulled back, stunned by the sharpness of the slap but not the action. He did not react angrily like she'd expected. He was calm. In fact he left her even more shocked as he pulled her into him, kissing her again.
She didn't give in so easily this time and pushed him away in irritation, though her body was betraying her, wanting to kiss him again.
He then grabbed her shoulders firmly but with a relaxed patience that made her feel like she was overreacting. Then he kissed her tenderly once more before she finally turned her head away. He waited. She determinedly kept her eyes focused on a blank patch of wall, her eyes squeezed shut with shame. When she felt his warm hand brush her chin and cup it, turning her face towards him, she had to meet his gaze.
Oh my god, what have I done? She cursed herself. Why can't you keep your feelings to yourself? Why can't you understand that he's NOT who you should like? Don't you realize that everyday he'll see Lora in you? He'll compare you to her?
She wished her first thoughts were for Lora, not herself.
How awful the idea that Lora was cursing her somewhere for stealing her man. How cruel it was to kiss the man her twin sister had loved, had a baby with, and would still be with now if she hadn't been killed.
Would he have still remained with her, had he met Jaz when Lora was alive? Would his feelings for Jaz have outweighed his feelings for Lora?
And, the worst, treacherous question of all... Would Jaz have kissed him if Lora had been alive right at this moment? She was afraid the answer was yes. She could never forgive hers
elf if that was the case.
Despite all that, her first concerns weren't about the one thing that mattered. Lora. Her pain, her suffering, her silent jealousy. Instead Jaz's thoughts were completely selfish. She loathed herself because of it.
“We can't do this.” She stared at him with hard eyes. “Ever.”
He watched her with an intensity that made the heat in her body rise again.
Her determination momentarily withered. She inched back even further unable to trust herself.
“I loved Lora. So much, it felt like I'd died and gone to hell when she was taken from me,” he replied huskily. She gazed at him carefully, grief etching both their faces. “But I feel like I could not live, if you weren't in my life.” She didn't realize her mouth was wide open until she pressed her lips together. “Does that make you uncomfortable?” He seemed a little too amused by the idea. His words came out almost as a tease.
She paused, unblinking. “A little.”
“Well, I don't care.” He said firmly. She frowned. “I'm not going to kill myself trying to make you feel at ease or comfortable anymore. I've tried that. This is what I feel. You can take it or leave it. I'll be damned if I'm gonna feel ashamed about it, or feel like some awkward inconvenience to you.”
Looking at him you'd have thought he was having an ordinary conversation. It was only the glimmer of passion in his eyes, and the resolute power of his deep, velvet voice that convinced her otherwise.
Her mouth was now open in bewilderment. She stared at him unable to form a sentence. Unable to work out whether she was angry or stunned or flattered or offended. Perhaps she was all four things.
Instead of reacting, or forming an expression, she just stared at him in blank shock.
He continued to study her face before adding, “If I had a choice I would spend this time prying your true feelings out of you but there are important things to discuss. This can wait.”
~Chapter 34- Mask ~
Monday, June 20th, 11:49 p.m.
The Pack Leader conversed with the cloaked man in secret. Two of his most trusted men stood guard several hundred yards away.
The wind direction was not in their favour. Meaning, their scent was very obvious to the cloaked man -which made both of them more than uneasy- and it also meant that the words spoken between their Pack Leader and the stranger were swept away with the passing breeze. They were exposed, practically deaf and standing in rival territory with no nose to detect any danger.
The cloaked man always planned his meetings with the utmost precision, down to the last detail.
The Pack Leader did not know who he was but he could see from the cloaked man's physique and the skin on his hands that he was young, in his early twenties or so at a guess. He could smell the scent of youth on him. He didn't recognize his scent but the young man was clever and he'd somehow masked his original odour. The Pack Leader was still trying to figure it out when the man's sharp tone cut his thoughts in half.
“Are you listening?”
He looked up at the shadowed eyes of his cloaked ally. A faint glimmer of brownish light told him his eyes were hazel. The Pack Leader nodded firmly. “Next Monday. The 27th. Got it.”
“I don't want anyone to die. But do enough damage to get his attention. He will refuse a duel if you kill his Pack members. And many will back him up on that.”
“You included?”
The heat from the man's glare was electrical.
The Pack Leader inched his neck back ever so slightly with unease, but kept his expression serious, if a little ironic.
“What I do outside of our meetings is not your concern,” the man stabbed back. “In case you've forgotten, no one knows who I am. Including you. I only told you my Pack for this plan, so don't throw it back in my face.”
“Why only tell me?”
“Because I need my anonymity to keep this plan alive, you idiot.”
“While I go out and risk my neck?”
The young man lunged at the Pack Leader catching him off guard. He had great strength for a smaller opponent and was absolutely terrifying even when his face was partially concealed.
The Pack Leader had to hold his bladder tightly in as it threatened to give way. His back smacked against the brick wall and he gasped aloud.
“If they find out what you're doing before the dual... your death will be much slower and much more painful than anything Nik Driver would dish out. Understand?”
The Pack Leader nodded pleadingly as the man gripped his throat on the verge of crushing his windpipe.
After a second or two, the man let go and sweet succulent air whooshed into the Pack Leader's throat making him cough and splutter. He tried to regain his dignity by remaining standing, but nothing could help him hide the noisy need to gasp hungrily for air. He held his hand up stopping the two guards rushing towards them mid-stride. He waved them back. They stood there for a hesitant moment, glowered at the back of the cloaked man, before disappearing into the darkness, never turning their back on him.
After a minute of letting the Pack Leader recover, the man turned to him and added, “But make no mistake... just because Nik is a gentlemen in the ring, and plays fair, if you betray him, he will inflict merciless torture on you in ways even I can't imagine.”
The Pack Leader's eyes widened. “I thought...” he began rasping as the pain of talking seared through his bruised throat, “...you were supposed to be convincing me to fight him? That our Pack would have a chance at winning?”
The young man smiled. His lips were just visible in the murky light. “Do this, my way. And you'll have a very good chance.”
“But why that way? Why does he need to be weakened? Y'think I can't take him on normally?” The Pack Leader folded his arms defiantly.
The young man turned, his shoulder pointing in the Pack Leader's direction, poised to leave. “That's exactly what I think.” With that he left.
The Pack Leader dropped his hands by his sides. He clenched his fists making them crack. “Bastard,” he muttered.
But he knew, deep down beneath the layers of wounded pride, the young man had a point.
~Chapter 35- Flare ~
Monday, June 27th, 10:14 a.m.
“Stop daydreaming!” Kenna bellowed.
Jaz flinched as the sound attacked her ears. Kenna's voice was like a megaphone at its loudest. She was grinning with pleasure at the startled look on Jaz's face.
Jaz's hand, which had been delicately brushing across her hot lips as she thought of Nik's kiss for the millionth time since it had happened- it had been so void of control, so full of hunger- dropped to her side.
She thought back to the conversation they'd had five days ago.
After the passionate kissing and his admitting of his affections for her, and after he'd sneaked with her outside, behind the back of the cabin out of sight -saying after a moment of sniffing the air and listening out that they were safe to talk freely- he elaborated more about the Cur Hunters. Their ruthlessness, their anonymity. How they were considered a myth to people who didn't know any better, which she had come to know very well.
How they'd been linked with killings of both humans and Weres. And not just killed, but eaten, in some cases in a very sick, ritualistic manner. Though what that exactly meant Jaz didn't- and didn't want to- know.
Police and forensic teams had been sniffing around close to neighbouring Pack territory. Two times they'd come onto Deer Creek grounds to investigate. Fortunately, whoever had been there to answer questions had been very convincing and the police had come to the conclusion the land had just been used by the killers to carry out the attacks and wasn't connected to them.
Some of the victims had been ripped apart so violently they'd suspected it was an animal attack. A bear or wolf though they're supposed to be extinct in the UK. Or possibly by the mysterious big cats that have appeared on the news a few times.
Nik said how he'd suspected for a while now that she was a hybrid but wanted to be sure, and did
n't speak of it for fear of something happening to her. He never referred to her as a 'halfblood' or 'halfbreed', and said it was because it was offensive. Unjustified and inaccurate.
Through the whole conversation he'd consoled her without pity, but was also firm and told her to trust him, to listen to him. That she was in danger and the less people knew about her, the better.
She then confided in him about Fraya's threat. That she might even be a member of the Cur Hunters. That she suspected Fraya had a hand in her sister's death. That Lora had mentioned Fraya's bullying and harassment many times in her diary. That it had made her so miserable. Driver's expression was more than sad. It was tortured.
She didn't delve any further into the conversation. If it was hard for her to speak about her sister, it must have been harrowing for him, but if she was being brutally honest, talking about Lora and him made her jealous.
She asked about Garik. Where he fit into all of this. Nik said although he didn't know if he could trust him yet, Garik was apparently playing a dangerous game with other Pack Leaders, pretending to be on their side when he told Nik, his loyalty was with him and this Pack. That he was using the other Packs to get information about the Cur Hunters. That he wanted them named and shamed. And probably killed too.
A man called Njord who was the Red Sword Pack Leader was the big dog on his 'friends' list. Jaz knew immediately not to underestimate this man and though she didn't really know her uncle -didn't know if he was even trustworthy- she still feared for his safety.
Nik emphasized the need to be careful about the knowledge of her hybrid blood, even if it was still unconfirmed. Even the slightest suspicion about that, in the wrong hands, would be very dangerous for her. She completely agreed with that.
After that long conversation. which lasted until almost midnight, she felt more in the loop about what was going on. She understood the politics better. Though she still had a lot more to learn.
