by HK Khan
His eyes, devoid of shock and anger, fill with a deep sadness for his brother’s pain. With a light kiss on my forehead, he ushers me after Hawk.
Confused, I walk down the hallway, lost and unsure of where to go. How can Hawk be so worked up over his mom when Ash seems completely calm, if not a bit sad about it? I touch the spot where Ashton’s lips met my forehead, and wander down another corridor, lost in thought.
An even, rhythmic grunt, thump, grunt, thump, draws me to the exit. I follow the noise until I find myself standing outside of a deceptively simple log cabin. It seems to have more rooms than I would know what to do with, but from the outside, it appears to be no bigger than a thousand square feet. I remember the staircases and wonder how many rooms are below the surface. The sounds come from around the corner to my left, and as I get closer, I come upon Hawk, shirtless, chopping his way through a pile of firewood. I take a moment to appreciate the view before letting him know I’m here.
Thick cords of muscle ripple their way through his torso as he hauls the axe overhead into a powerful downward arc. Tattoos of thorny vines travel up and around his arms from under the leather bracers at his wrists. They wrap around his biceps, crawl across his pectoral muscles, and end by meeting as twin blades piercing the ornate heart in the center of his chest. The detail is so fine, I have to tamp down the urge to trace it with my fingertips and see if it has texture. He swings again, splitting another log in one strike. He only came out here a few minutes ago, but already a considerable amount of cut wood forms a pile beside him.
I clear my throat. No need to startle someone with an axe. His shoulders tense and he whips around.
“Come to shower me with your pity?” he snarls.
Oh, hell no.
My chin snaps up, and I stomp away from the house.
“Really?” I shout. “You think having a horrible childhood gives you the right to be a criticizing ass?” I kick a rock out of my way and flies across the clearing. “I was property to them, Hawk, and even I still recognize Genji as someone unique and deserving of kindness and respect! Everyone’s different, you idiot, and there’s never a circumstance that makes it okay to throw accusations at strangers. It’s our compassion that separates us from the monsters, and I can guarantee there are evil humans out there, too!” Once again, I find myself directly in front of him without realizing my approach. My breath huffs out irregularly, and fury seethes from every pore. “And—“
His expression morphs from anger to confusion to humor in the blink of an eye. He smirks, and captures the rest of my tirade with his lips, silencing me.
The kiss is rough and soft at the same time, and his stubble scratches at my skin as he moves his mouth, pressing harder. A calloused hand grips me around the waist, and he tries to make me lean back into the embrace.
Shock overwhelms me as he trails kisses down my jaw. When he moans into my throat, it snaps me back to reality with a flaming vengeance. My temper boils over, and I knee him as hard as I can in the groin. He falls back onto the dirt behind him, groaning for a different reason now.
I nail him with an icy glare. “I don’t know what possible scenario was running through your head that told you kissing me was the right move,” I spit out. “I’m not some toy to play with as you wish, Hawk.”
I crouch near his face and stare directly into his eyes. I let a little bit of the frost leave my tone, but remain serious. “I’m sorry things were rough with your mother, but living your life caught up in the rage you felt as a child will lead you to destruction. People are complex, and we’re all more than just the poor decisions we’ve made.” I touch his face. “Who are you, to judge someone because they sin differently than yourself? I’m here when you want to talk, but I won’t let you continue to treat me like this. You’re hurting, I can see that, but you’re spreading that pain around like a poison, and it’s affecting your family.”
I wave my hand at the house behind me. “Ashton shares your pain, and takes your temper without complaint. Stop being an ass and be human instead. I’ve never had friends before, Hawk, but I want to be one to all of you.” I get up and my voice grows hard once more. “And don’t you ever touch me without my permission again.” Flashes of how the vamps liked to play jump through my mind and I struggle to keep the fear at bay. I escaped that life, and no one, not even my saviors would put me back there.
I walk back toward the cabin without another word, leaving him to sputter on the ground.
When I round the corner, I let out a startled gasp as I almost run headlong into Kent.
“You handled that well, Guine.”
My adrenaline bottoms out, leaving me lightheaded. Kent notices and pulls me into a solid, grounding hug. “We’ll let him be for a few minutes and then send Phoenix out. If Hawk lets anyone help, it’ll be him.”
Kent steps back and winds an arm around my shoulders. He leads me back into the cabin and through the maze of a house until we reach a new room instead of returning to the others.
Though this room is similar to the one I woke in, old books cover one wall from floor to ceiling. A podium stands in the corner with a large, leather-bound tome resting open on its slanted surface, and a dove gray blanket and pillows cover the bed in beautiful contrast to the deep brown wood.
His arm drops away as he turns to face me. “Do you mind telling me why you responded the way you did?” My confusion must be plain on my face, because he adds, “When Hawk kissed you. You got angry. I want to understand.”
Staring into his stormy eyes, I notice how close we stand to one another. His fresh, minty scent surrounds me, and I realize we must be his bedroom. I lick my suddenly dry lips, and he takes a swift step back. He sits at the foot of his bed and motions for me to take the chair.
The entire chamber smells faintly of mint, and I take a deeper breath to get another whiff.
I remember this smell. Toothpaste.
“Guine?”
Shaking off the memory, I focus on Kent as I collapse into the rocking chair. “Kent, I was just so angry at him. A blind person could see the hurt he caused Ashton, and then he apologized without actually apologizing. When I went out there, he got mad before I even said a word, and when he jumped to the wrong conclusion, I kind of snapped. I yelled at him, and he took it as the right time to kiss me? I mean, what the hell did he expect? It wasn’t some grand, romantic moment or anything.” I play with a loose thread on my shirt. “It’s definitely not what I always imagined it would be.”
Kent shifts closer. “Guine, was that your first kiss?”
I don’t look up. My skin burns with shame, and I don’t want him to see my embarrassment. I shrug, rocking the chair back and forth slowly.
“I was so mad,” I reiterate. “I always imagined my first kiss would be magical, not fury-induced. He ruined it for me, and I hurt him in return.”
Oh, god! I kneed him!
My stomach rolls with sudden nausea.
“Guine, you were right to want your first time to be special. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable; I only want to better understand you. It’s been just us guys for so long, I want to make sure your feelings are acknowledged. If you wanted to kiss someone, and they wanted you to kiss them…” Kent tugs at his collar and a faint blush tinges his cheeks. “I’m sure Hawk feels like an idiot right now.”
He unwinds his ponytail and runs his long fingers through his dark hair. “We’re a household of men, Guine,” he continues. “There are going to be times when we make fools of ourselves.” Kent leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stares directly at me. “Be clear about what you want, and don’t be afraid to put us in our place when we act out of line.” The corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk. “I’ll talk to everyone, but give us a little time for adjustment. That doesn’t excuse Hawk’s behavior, but please, let us learn how to have a female around. I’ll do whatever I can to make you more comfortable here, but don’t judge us too harshly for our mistakes.”
I get out of the
chair and tentatively sit next to him on the bed. “I’d be a hypocrite if I held you all accountable for the actions of a moment, Kent. I can’t expect Hawk to drop his prejudices if I don’t hold myself to the same standard. Just, ugh—” I slump. “Apparently I have a temper, so maybe you could help me get a hold on that? I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
He laughs that full-on, can’t-catch-your-breath, clutch-your-sides, type of laughter. “Guine, the rule here about hurting someone is that if it happens, they probably deserved it. We’re supposed to be on alert constantly, so we should be ready for an attack at any time. If you hurt someone, they’re guilty of underestimating you.” He stands and offers me his hand.
I hesitate, but the look in his eyes begs me to trust him. With a deep breath, I gently place my palm in his. He smiles, and leads me back to the common room, where everyone else still hangs out. Hawk is there, but avoids eye contact of any kind with me.
The clock chimes nine times as we enter, and they all stop what they’re doing to sit in a loose circle around the room.
“Kitten”—Genji motions to me from an armchair—“we do a briefing every evening at this time to catch up on the activities of the day. Join us?”
I look at each them. Would it be awkward for me to sit in? I kind of want to. Phoenix makes the decision for me when he scoops me up over his shoulder and carries me into the group.
Kent raises an eyebrow at him, but says nothing about his antics, and I can’t help the small giggle that escapes as Phoenix spins me before letting me down next to a sofa. Dizzy, I collapse on the cushions and he settles beside me.
When Kent follows and stops to stand by the fireplace, the room quiets. “I call this meeting to order. First, The Council and I have extended a provisional invitation to Guine to join the Hunters and to train with our family.”
Nix interrupts, shouting, “Hell, yeah!”
“Shut it.” Ashton laughs, elbowing Phoenix in the ribcage with a manic grin plastered to his face.
Kent silences them both with a hard stare. “I expect you all to be respectful of her and to remember she’s a lady, and should be treated as such. No one”—he gives Hawk the evil eye—“is going to lay a hand on her outside of training without her explicit permission.”
Everyone eyes either Hawk or me, and I realize they don’t know what happened earlier.
“He kissed me!” I blurt out before I can stop myself. I smack my forehead, and everyone tries to shout at once. They go quiet when Kent raises his hands, and I rush to explain before they get the wrong idea. Most girls my age have probably had loads of experience. “I’ve never been kissed before, and it made me mad. I hurt Hawk.”
My gaze drops to my feet. I realize I’ve been doing that a lot, and force myself to hold my head high. I’m not a blood slave anymore, and I’ll be damned if I continue to act like one.
Hawk panics. “Oh, shit! Guine, you were shouting at me and I didn’t want to hear it so I, well… You know. I didn’t realize!”
I sigh and shake my head. All he ever does is apologize.
“It worked,” he mumbles to the floor when the whole group glares at him. “She stopped yelling.”
“It’s done now,” I say.
“How’d she hurt you this time, Hawk?” Declan jokes from his perch on the arm of the couch.
I close my eyes, trying to erase the entire incident from my memory.
Hawk must answer the question non-verbally, because several of them inhale harshly, and Phoenix flinches beside me. I open my eyes, surprised by the barely restrained laughter on almost all of their faces.
“She got you in the balls, little bro?” Ashton squeaks, shooting me a worried glance.
Yeah. I did, I smirk. Care to try me?
He must know what I’m thinking, because he shakes his head, chuckling, and grabs a throw pillow to cover himself protectively.
“Let this be a lesson to you all,” Genji speaks up. “Our Kitten has claws and knows how to use them.”
A chorus of laughter dances around the room and everyone settles back down.
“Little bro?” I whisper to Phoenix while the twins trade barbs.
“Ash is four minutes older,” he responds, brushing my arm with his hand before pulling away. I shiver at his brief touch.
“Ash, report,” Kent orders once the jokes subside.
Ashton stands and lists off a bunch of things I don’t understand. Coordinates and code names, I think. He stops mid-sentence and glances at me with wide eyes before he turns back to Kent, shoulders hunched and tendons standing out in his neck.
Kent catches my eye. “Guine, what you learn here must not leave the confines of this room. Understood?”
I nod, and Ashton lets out a breath I hadn’t realized he was holding.
“Well, finding Guine proves there are rogues in the area.” Ash pulls out some kind of tablet from the cabinet in the corner and walks forward to place it on the coffee table in the center of the room.
I lean forward to get a better look. It displays a digital map covered in small notations. It’s more sophisticated than anything I’ve used before, and my fingers itch to examine it and learn all of its secrets.
Ash glances around the room, face serious. “In the last month, there have been eleven confirmed killings by rogues and twenty-seven speculated ones in different locations within this hundred mile radius. At first, we thought they were just passing through, as we couldn’t find any other evidence of them. But now, coupled with Guine dropping in on us, I think we can assume there’s a new underworld network at play here. Most of the bodies have been female, and they’ve all been exsanguinated.”
I jump to my feet, my stomach clenched with suspicion.
“Show me where you found me,” I demand.
Ashton points to a spot near the center of the circle. I gasp and the room spins. Kent steadies me with an arm around my waist, his gaze questioning.
“I wasn’t supposed to know, but I overheard the Master and Mistress talking about a month ago. He’s approaching his breeding cycle and they wanted to make sure he’s successful in siring a son. He wants an heir.” I wait for the horror to dawn on their faces, but they only look confused.
“Why would there be so many damned bodies, then? Wouldn’t they need the girls alive?” Phoenix asks.
I blink at him before I turn to Genji for help, but he appears as baffled as the rest. Do they really not know?
“When a male vamp breeds, he needs a lot of blood,” I explain. “About eight pints per attempt. If you check, I bet most of the bodies are the same blood type. They have preferences.” A shiver runs down my spine as the memories struggle to break free. I swallow the bile in my throat and stare at the markings on the map. There are so many. “My old Master’s favorite is AB negative.” A single tear escapes from the corner of my eye. “Like me.”
Shocked silence echoes throughout the room.
“If you’ve found eleven bodies, that’s eighty-eight pints of blood. If there are twenty-seven others who died in the same area, you can probably assume they’re victims too.” I do the math and my stomach lurches. “There’s probably anywhere from another twenty to thirty women missing right now, depending on how often he used each of them. If he drained that many people, he’s going to have a harem locked up somewhere.”
“Are you sure?” Genji whispers. I tremble out of fear for those girls and nod.
“Kent,” his voice quivers. “We have to do something!”
That breaks through to everyone and the meeting adjourns in a flash. Genji slumps off to his office, depressed. Kent tilts his head toward the door. Understanding his suggestion, I follow the healer.
As the door clicks shut behind me, Genji asks, “Kitten, can you tell me more about the Old Ones who held you?”
“Genji,” I counter softly, “you said you were raised by humans?” He nods and my senses prickle. “That’s not very common, is it?”
“No. If a vampire’s born to a human, she usua
lly dies in childbirth and the baby’s taken to be raised by the local coven. As far as I know, there aren’t a lot of us. Human-born, that is.”
I place my hand on his arm in what I hope is a comforting touch. “Genji, almost ninety percent of the vampire-human babies conceived die in the first three months of gestation. The DNA isn’t compatible. In the small few that survive, the mother passes on a dormant genetic marker, causing the baby to produce an extra enzyme, allowing the nucleic acid to stabilize. You’re more special than you realize.” Some of the shadows lift from his gaze, showering me with relief. “Because of that enzyme, you don’t need to consume as much blood, and you’ll live a longer life than your human or even vampire counterparts. Hybrids have stronger cognitive abilities than either species alone, and sleep less than average as well. That’s why they try to breed with so many of us humans. Those of you who live are better, stronger vampires.”
His beautiful hazel eyes widen, and I can practically read the thousands of different scenarios running through his extraordinary mind. “Guine, how do you know all this?”
I try to avoid the memory, but Genji’s question sends my mind drifting back to my time at the compound.
I open my eyes and cry.
No. I was supposed to die.
It was my chance to be free. Nurse Clara clucks her tongue and hands me a tissue.
“When the guards found you, you were almost gone. They loaded you up on venom and got you here just in time. You’ll have to stay in the infirmary for the next week while your blood replenishes. I imagine Perry will have you serve your punishment then. Afterward, you’ll go to Fabian for a refresher course on Obedience.” She turns and leaves me locked in the clinic. It’s not too bad, but she made sure to remove anything I might make use of. I guess they want to protect their food source after all.
There isn’t anything for me to hurt myself with, but there are a lot of books. I pull down a large volume and begin to read. It’s a hand-written medical journal about the vamps, and it’s fascinating.
