Hunter’s Revenge: Willow Harbor - book 3

by Juliana Haygert

  I shrugged. “I guess.”

  He looked at me. “But …”

  “What?”

  “I heard a but in there.”

  I sighed. “Nothing. There are no buts.”

  “Why did you lie to your mother about your house key?”

  “How do you know I was lying?”

  “I just know. Why?”

  I paused, unsure about telling him the truth. “Well … You just don’t open the door at someone else’s house and barge in.”

  He stared at me for a long time. “You feel like you don’t belong.”

  I shrugged. “I know I don’t.”

  “Tessa, you know—” He clamped his mouth shut when his cell phone started ringing. He picked it up and glanced at the screen. “It’s Aidan.” He pressed the green button. “Hey.” He took a few steps away from me. I heard a few hms and ah-has and hm-uhs, and I suddenly felt like I was eavesdropping on their conversation. Then, he looked at me, but said to Aidan, “I have to see. It might be a while until I get there.” That piqued my interest. “I’ll talk to Tessa and text you.”

  “What is it?” I asked as he lowered the phone.

  “I totally forgot today is summer solstice.”

  “Hm, what?”

  “The hunters need my help,” he said. “I have to be back in Willow Harbor by nightfall.”

  I glanced at my phone and checked the time. That was just a couple of hours away, and we were far from Willow Harbor. “If we leave now, we can get there on time.” He shook his head, but I kept going before he could protest. “Yes, we. I’m going too.”

  A crease appeared in his forehead, but his hazel eyes held my defiant stare. Finally, he sighed. “Yeah, we.”

  For some reason, hearing him say that excited me. “We can go now. I just have to say goodbye to them, change out of this dress, and we can go. Is that okay?”

  One corner of his lips turned up. He even smiled more at Paul than at me, but I would take it. “Yes, that sounds good.”

  * * *

  LANDON

  * * *

  The nagas came to the beach on summer solstice. That didn’t sound too bad. After all, there were plenty of nagas living in Willow Harbor after being spelled by a powerful witch to be able to turn into human form at will. The nagas of Willow Harbor lived in peace—mostly. Like any other species, there were always one or two unruly ones who needed a warning and, in rare cases, intervention.

  But these nagas …

  I glanced at Tessa once more, thinking how hard it would be to drop her off at the manor before going to the beach. I would probably have to throw her over my shoulder and lock her inside the guest bedroom, but it would be better than to have her around the nagas.

  “Wait, so, these nagas come to the beach … to mate?” Tessa asked from the passenger seat. Before leaving her family house, she had changed back into her jeans and tee and boots since flats and sandals weren’t too great for fighting.

  I nodded, eyes on the road. “In a way, yes. They can only impregnate women on the night of the solstice.”

  “And they simply get them by force?”

  “They can lure the women, enchant them …” I paused as I drove past Willow Harbor’s welcome portico. “The women don’t really know what is happening. Later, they think it was a drunken one night stand.”

  “That’s scary.”

  “It is.” And that was why I should leave her at the manor. But I knew, I just knew, that if I did, she would simply hop in her car and drive to the beach.

  “So, the nagas are all bad guys.”

  “No, not all. Just this particular group is.” I sneaked a quick glance at her. “Willow Harbor is full of nagas who can shift into human form, and they live, well, peacefully with their spouses and children.”

  “I wonder if I have met a naga,” she muttered, turning to look out the window.

  I peeked at her again. The orange light of the setting sun hit her hair just right, giving her head a luminous halo. Like a beautiful angel.

  A beautiful angel who would be marching onto a beach full of crazy, hungry nagas.

  Shit.

  Parked along Central Avenue, I spotted the cars of almost all hunters: Aidan, Nathan, Cole, Douglas, Ash, Caleb. I parked my car behind theirs, a good distance from the beach.

  Tessa exited my car and looked out at the beach, at the line of hunters standing by just at the sand’s edge. “Everyone is here.”

  “We have to be,” I said, opening the trunk of my car.

  “So,” Tessa said, running her fingers on a long silver sword tied to the top inside of my car’s trunk. “How do we kill nagas? By cutting off their heads?”

  “No.” I took a dagger from my arsenal and handed it her. “You just have to pierce their heart.” I picked up the long silver sword she had been ogling. “However, their skin is thick and their hearts located right in the center of their chest. It might not be easy to do it.”

  “Crap,” she muttered. She closed her hand tight around the dagger’s hilt, but I could see her hands shaking.

  Without thinking, I reached over and clasped her hand in mine. “It’s fine. You don’t need to do this. You can stay by my car.” I frowned, not liking that. What if a naga sneaked out and came after her while I was busy inside? “Scratch that. You have to come with me, stay close to me, but you don’t need to do anything.”

  She fixed her eyes on mine. While her hands still shook, the shine in her bright eyes was resolute. Sure. “No way. I’m gonna do this.” She gulped. “I might not be able to kill any nagas, but I’ll fight them and I’ll help, even if it’s just by keeping one busy before you can get to it.” She lifted her chin, determined. “I’ll help.”

  One corner of my lips tugged up. “I bet you will.”

  She put a hand on her hip, her eyes narrowed. “Are you teasing me?”

  I huffed a chuckle. “I’m not. I’m serious.”

  “Right,” she said, shaking her head.

  Aidan and Nathan, who had been patrolling the area, saw us and soon approached.

  “Hey,” Aidan said. “Sorry for taking you from the party, but we need help.”

  “We always need help for this,” Nathan said.

  Tessa shrugged. “It’s fine. The party was for my little sister, and it was boring anyway.”

  I bumped my fist with Aidan’s and Nathan’s as a greeting. “I should have remembered.”

  “It’s fine,” Nathan said. “You’re here now.”

  “But, hm, she shouldn’t be here,” Aidan said in a low voice.

  Nathan nodded. “Yeah, Douglas will kill you when he sees her.”

  “Wait, why?” Tessa asked, a hand on her waist. Always in defiance.

  Aidan glanced at her. “They lure women; you’re a woman.”

  She furrowed her brows. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. I mean …” She glanced from Aidan to me, as if looking for reassurance. “I can resist it, right?”

  “Don’t worry,” I said, my voice tight. “I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

  “You’re dead,” Nathan muttered, glancing up at the dark sky.

  I let out a loud groan.

  “Ready?” Aidan patted the two daggers strapped to his utility belt, right beside a long sword, just like the one in my hands.

  Nathan wasn’t much different, except he insisted on taking a gun with him. “It might slow them down,” he argued.

  I didn’t care as long as we got this job done fast and without any mess-ups.

  A movement caught the corner of my eye. A tall guy with brown hair was crossing the street, coming toward us.

  “Hey, Nik,” I called out.

  He stopped among us. “Hey.” He glanced to all of us, including Tessa. Eyes narrowed, he turned his eyes to me. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s the Summer’s Solstice,” I said.

  “Oh.” His shoulders tensed. “The nagas are coming.”

  “Yup,” Nathan said.

  Nik pressed his lip
s together. “Can I join you?”

  I patted his back once. “The more, the merrier.”

  “Great,” was all he said before walking toward the beach. Aidan and Nathan followed him.

  Tessa stayed with me while I closed the trunk of my car.

  “Who is that guy?” she asked, her eyes on Nik as he approached the other hunters.

  “Nik.” I counted my weapons, then faced her. “He’s a …” I considered it. No, no need to add more names and races to her already busy mind right now. “His kind has many problems with the nagas. That’s all you need to know for now.”

  She glared at me. “For now?”

  Not in the mindset to argue right now, I walked past her. Probably noticing the palpable tension coming from the beach, Tessa stayed quiet.

  Together we inched toward the beach, to stand with the other hunters. Dread spread through my chest, and I frowned. What the hell? I had been doing this for almost ten years. I had never felt nervous or dreaded doing a job.

  Beside me, Tessa sucked in a sharp breath, and I understood my feelings. I wasn’t dreading this job for me. I was dreading this job for her. Because I was worried about her. Suddenly, I wished I had driven to the manor and locked her in the guest bedroom. Or tied her to her bed.

  I stepped in front of her, causing her to run into me. “Hey,” she protested, one hand out to keep herself steady. One hand that had landed right on my chest. One hand that, while she lifted her eyes to mine and seemingly stopped breathing, she didn’t pull away.

  “Things can get pretty messy with these nagas. They are stronger and faster than humans, and it’s actually pretty hard to pierce their hearts with their thick skins.”

  “You … you already said that.”

  “What I mean is … please, be careful. Stay near me at all times. At all times,” I repeated, hoping that simple requests penetrated her thick skull. “Like Aidan said, they will try to lure you, so please, don’t look at them for long.”

  “Yes, sir.” She put on bravado, but I could see her hands shaking more and more.

  “And please don’t do anything stupid.”

  Her lips turned into a small, amused smile. “I promise to behave. Maybe.”

  I groaned. “You’re gonna drive me crazy one of these days.”

  Her hand traveled up to the collar of my T-shirt and she tugged. On tiptoes, she pressed her soft lips on my cheek. “Don’t worry, big guy. I’ll be fine.”

  Then she patted my chest and sidestepped me.

  I stood there for a moment, absorbing what had happened. Shit, what had happened? My fingers brushed my cheek, where she had kissed me. I could still feel the warmth and softness of her lips against my skin.

  “Landon?” Aidan asked. I whipped around. Tessa and Nathan kept on walking, while Aidan looked at me with a puzzled expression. “Are you coming?”

  I jerked awake and put on my game face. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.”

  I inhaled deeply, knowing that even though I could master my game face, my head and heart wouldn’t be in the game tonight.

  Fourteen

  TESSA

  * * *

  With each step toward the beach, my breathing grew more shallow and my heart pounded harder.

  The hunters from the Sanctum of the Seven were starting to form a long line across the white sand, facing the ocean—all of them sporting long swords, daggers, crossbows, and guns. I didn’t see Amber and Sophia here, but there were more men filling the line.

  “Are they all hunters? Did you call back up?” I asked in a low voice.

  Landon glanced at me. “No, these are nagas.”

  I tripped on my own feet. “W-what?”

  “The good nagas, the ones who live in Willow Harbor and want to stop this brutality, the ones who want to defend their daughters.”

  “Oh …”

  It was still so odd to me that there were good vampires, good shifters, good fae, and good nagas. It was even odder because they looked human. They were all tall and had dark skin, like they had tanned for too long, and dark hair. If I hadn’t known, I wouldn’t think they were anything else other than regular men.

  We stepped onto the beach and I inhaled, loving the salty scent that came in with the gentle, warm breeze. I had to make Landon bring me here during the day.

  From the center of the line, Douglas turned. His eyes became two fireballs the moment they fell on me. He marched the rest of the way, halting a foot from Landon.

  “Are you out of your mind?” he snapped through his gritted teeth.

  “I know what I’m doing,” was Landon terse response.

  “Bring a woman to the nagas?”

  I flinched at his words, but Landon remained still, stoic. “I was going to drop her off at the manor, but I know her. She would have sneaked out.”

  “He’s right,” I added. I was trying to help Landon, but oh, well, it was true. I would have sneaked out, especially if he didn’t give me details. “I would have followed him here.”

  Landon gestured a big hand at me. “Then I wouldn’t have known she was in danger. This way I can keep an eye on her.”

  Douglas cursed under his breath. “You keep both eyes on her.” He turned to me, his eyes still raging. “And you, young lady, I thought you were smarter than this.”

  Shaking his head, Douglas marched back to the center of the line. He let out another string of colorful curses.

  “I think he’s mad at us,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

  Landon let out a snort. “You think?”

  Smiling, I shrugged at him.

  “Come on,” Aidan said. “Stay in line with all of us. We’ll help keeping you safe.”

  I scrunched my nose so as not to roll my eyes at them. The way they said it, it sounded like I was going to misbehave. A teenager girl sneaking out her bedroom in the middle of the night to go to a party.

  I followed the guys to the right, squeezing between some other hunters, then like them, I faced the ocean.

  “It’s almost time,” Douglas shouted from fifty yards away. “Get ready.”

  The hunters lifted their weapons.

  My heart slammed against my rib cage, and my fist tightened around the hilt of the dagger.

  The sun dipped behind us. If it weren’t for the rolling waves and the light from the lamppost behind us reflecting on the water’s surface, the ocean in front of us would have been so dark, it would seem a continuation of the sky.

  “There,” Landon whispered close beside me.

  “What?” I whispered back, my eyes wide, trying to see whatever he was seeing.

  “At the water …”

  I surveyed the water, trying to see something, anything. Then … there! Movement between the waves, causing ripples on the water’s surface.

  The nagas were here.

  I sucked in a sharp breath and lifted my dagger in front of me.

  The movement under the water increased. More and more ripples appeared.

  I leaned into Landon and asked in a low voice, “What now?”

  His eyes never left the water as he answered, “We wait. Be ready.”

  He had barely finished his words when it happened. Nagas, a dozen of them or more, jumped out of the water and landed in the sand, right in front of us.

  Gasping, I took a step back, momentarily shocked.

  I knew about the supernatural world. I had even seen a demon or two, fought them. I knew about magic and that nothing was impossible. But I wasn’t ready to see something so different.

  The hunters lunged at them, engaging the nagas into a brutal fight, while all I could do was stare.

  Landon swung his sword toward a naga in front of him. In the blink of an eye, the creature slithered to the side and swiped down its huge claws on Landon. I gasped in terror, but Landon brought his sword up, parrying it.

  Slither … that was how they moved. These creatures had grayish-green skin that resembled a snake and tails like mermaids, but the tail was thicker, longer,
and it moved side to side as they advanced in the sand. Their torso was thick and muscly; some nagas had two arms, while others had four. Their heads had a dragon-like shape with long snouts and many, many razor-sharp teeth. Their slanted eyes seemed to shine red. Hard fins sprouted from the top of their heads, down their back, their shoulders, and elbows.

  It was impossible to look away from them.

  I knew what it was—their lure. They had barely left the water, and I already could feel it. It was as if the air around us had changed, as if it now revolved around them, pushing everything, everyone to them. It felt like a tug deep in my gut, pulling, calling, forcing.

  Landon bumped into me, stepping away from one huge naga—he had to be well over seven feet tall with wide, strong shoulders.

  “Tessa,” Landon muttered, pushing me back. Then, he set his feet apart, knees bent, and raised his sword, ready to attack.

  I shook my head, ashamed for having fallen into the nagas’ lure so easily. No, it couldn’t be. I knew of their powers. I could resist it.

  A second naga raced to Landon.

  Gritting my teeth, I held onto the dagger tight and charged it before it could catch Landon by surprise.

  The naga’s narrow eyes widened. “A woman?” he said, his voice deep and heavy. “I won’t fight you.” A hiss came out from his big mouth and his chest puffed up even more. “I’ll enthrall you.”

  “The hell you will.” I swiped my dagger toward his face, forcing him to slither back to avoid being cut.

  He let out a low growl. “Insolent girl.”

  The naga advanced on me, but instead of attacking me, he was trying to hold me, to push me back. I didn’t give it a chance as I blocked his claws from reaching me by throwing one powerful roundhouse kick after another. Then, the naga tried catching my legs, so I switched up the kicks—side kick, hook kick, back kick. I even landed a back wheel kick to his shoulder, making him stumble back.

  The naga bared his fang at me. “Enough.” He opened his arms wide and jumped at me.

  Lifting my dagger, I stepped back, but I miscalculated how strong and agile the naga was. In midair, he readjusted his brief flight and landed right on top of me.