The Alien Huntress Series

by Gena Showalter

  “Uh, you might want to dress before you greet him,” Nolan said when she bent down. “And yeah, I’d guessed about the nonhuman thing. So what are you?”

  “Alien,” she lied.

  “Like I said, I know.”

  As she stood, her gaze drifted along her body. She was pale, as always, and spotted with red where her skin had pressed into the concrete. Her nipples were hard.

  Was that what Nolan saw when he looked at her? Was that what Devyn had seen when she’d stood before him? The real her? Or did they see the image she projected? Long ago, the ability to cloak herself with nondescript features had risen from the thorns and fire inside her, preventing people from picking her out of a crowd. She did it without thinking now; it was just a part of who she was, like breathing. But sometimes, as weak as she’d become this past month, she feared the shield was down and she simply couldn’t sense it.

  Cheeks heating, she grabbed the robe she’d draped over the couch just in case she’d been unable to walk to her room after imprisoning Nolan. Good thing. “Sorry for the show.”

  “Don’t be. Back to my question. What kind of alien are you?”

  Don’t be. It was something Devyn would say, and it caused her heart to race. Surely she wasn’t missing the bastard. “I’m the kind that’s from another planet.” No way she’d cop to vampire. Even otherworlders would fear bloodsuckers. How could they not? She was a parasite. “I’m a—” What sounded good? she wondered, peering at her feet “—concre…sha. Concresha.”

  “Never heard of them.”

  Of course not. She’d just made it up. “Doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

  “Amy!”

  Fully covered now, she walked to the door and pressed the code to open it a mere crack. Mr. Guise immediately tried to push his way inside.

  He growled at her. “Open it wider and let me in, little girl.”

  “You don’t need to come in to collect your money.”

  “Well, I want to talk to you.”

  “So talk.”

  After a moment’s pause, he backed away. Even chuckled darkly. “I know you don’t have no money, so I thought we could work off the debt another way, if you know what I mean.”

  She rolled her eyes. He’d been trying to get her into bed for a year. He was a balding, greasy perv. The perviness and the grease she could have overlooked, but not the comb-over. Or, to be honest, the stench of rot that always accompanied him.

  But hungry as she was, even Guise was starting to look good. His pulse was slow but steady, a taste-me beat. “No need for me to take one for the team.” Her tongue was so swollen the words were slurred. “I can pay you properly.” She hoped.

  She flipped open Nolan’s wallet and gasped. So much money. So…pretty and green. It was more than she’d ever seen in one place.

  “Just think about it,” Guise said, reaching his pudgy fingers through the crack and sifting them through her hair. “You could spend your money on something like food or clothes.”

  “Tempting, but no.” Her fingers shook as she thrust the bills at him. She kept her lashes fused, just in case her eyes were glowing again. Usually, she could control it. Only when she was reaching the starvation point did it happen automatically. “That should take care of the rest of the year.”

  He looked down at the wad of bills, then up at her, then the bills. “But…but…”

  More satisfied than she’d been in a long time, even when she’d bested Devyn, she pressed the button to close the door in his stunned face, then jabbed her thumb against the ID to engage the lock she’d had installed—a lock Guise could not open at will. She was grinning widely as she turned and pressed her back into the metal.

  “You’re pretty when you smile,” Nolan said weakly.

  Her gaze shifted to him. Once, he’d probably been handsome. His bone structure was total perfection, his body tall and packed with just the right amount of muscle. But now, ashen and bruised as he was, he just looked pitiful. “Thank you, and thanks for the loan, by the way.”

  A choking sound bubbled from his throat. A laugh? “Please, you won’t pay me back.”

  No, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t work during the day, her skin was too sensitive, and she couldn’t hold a job at night since she needed to hunt. She had to steal what money she could. “Thanks for the gift, then.”

  “You’re welcome.” He sounded sincere.

  “Listen,” she said. “You seem like a nice guy despite the fact that you had AIR gunning for you. I want you to know that I don’t plan to hurt you.”

  His gaze locked with hers, grim but determined. “If you don’t want to hurt me, you have to let me go.”

  Did she look stupid? “Do you have a terribly infectious disease?”

  “Yes,” he said, shocking her. She hadn’t expected him to answer honestly.

  “Then you understand that I can’t let you loose on the streets.” She rubbed a hand over her forehead and sighed. “I need to take a shower, but maybe we can talk afterward, okay? I’ll tell you my plans for you.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “I’ll hurry.” In her bedroom, Bride brushed her teeth, rushed through an enzyme shower, and quickly dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Took her ten minutes. Ten minutes she used to breathe deep and get her hunger under control. Finally she dragged a chair in front of Nolan’s cage, her fangs retracted. He hadn’t moved an inch. “I’m back. Now, before I tell you what’s to be done with you, why don’t you tell me why Devyn wants you?”

  His eyes, once most likely a vibrant blue, were now dull and glazed with pain. “Do his plans affect yours?”

  “Yes.” If Devyn didn’t want him as much as she suspected he did, she would have no use for him.

  “At least you’re honest.” The shoulder not pressed into the cot lifted in a weak shrug. “Devyn wants me because I need sex, and I need sex because Devyn wants me.”

  O-kay. Great. That explained everything. “Let’s try a different angle. Maybe break it down for me like I’m a five-year-old child.”

  “Nope. I answered you, whether you realize it or not. Now you have to answer something for me. Why did you take me from that alley?”

  Easy enough. “Devyn has something I want. A few things, actually.” And he would give them to her. First, he would take her to the women he’d bedded that day. Would do no good to go to the place he’d sexed them up. The scent was long gone, she was sure.

  If neither of them was Aleaha, she would make him take her to everyone he’d been around that day. Then, he would tell her everything he knew about vampires. Maybe even introduce her to the ones he knew.

  “And you plan to trade me for these things?” Nolan asked.

  She played with the hem of her shirt, but didn’t shrink from his gaze. “Yes. In a perfect world I would have captured him and put him in the cage, but this isn’t a perfect world, and I had to make do with what I could.” She was grumbling.

  “Why didn’t you? Lock him up, I mean?”

  “Nope. Your turn to answer something. Did Devyn plan to kill you, or simply capture you?”

  “I don’t know. My guess is capture. My queen is on her way to this planet, and Devyn, along with the rest of AIR, is desperate to know when and where she’ll arrive.”

  Then Devyn wanted him back for more reasons than she’d realized. Did life get any better than this? “Your disease—”

  “Is deadly, yes. If that’s what you planned to ask. AIR expects me to let it eat away at my body, destroying me. They don’t understand that I just want to live. Like everyone else, I just want to live. And…love.” His voice dripped with sadness. “I’ve never fallen in love, and that’s something everyone deserves a chance to experience.”

  “I’ve been alive a long, long time. Trust me, you’re better off without the emotion. It just leads to hurt.”

  “Nevertheless.”

  Well, she’d warned him. That’s all a girl could do.

  “Your turn to answer,” he said. “Wh
y didn’t you just lock up Devyn?”

  “Originally, that was my plan. That’s why I erected the-cage. But as I was watching him stalk you, I realized that if he can freeze me in place, he can also force me to move the way he wants, so he’d just have me unlock the cage, defeating the purpose of bringing him here. I didn’t relish the idea of being at his mercy in my own home.”

  “Smart girl. So if you could lock him up without having to worry about his taking over your body, would you let me go and lock him up in my place?”

  She thought about it; she really did. Because, God, it was tempting. This guy could help her. Devyn hadn’t been able to manipulate his body the way he’d done hers, and with Nolan’s help, Devyn probably wouldn’t be able to manipulate hers anymore. But in the end, she couldn’t do it. Couldn’t free this otherworlder, no matter the reason. By his own admission, he was infected with something dangerous and contagious, and she couldn’t willingly unleash that upon the unsuspecting world. A girl needed to eat.

  With the thought, her shoulders slumped. Why couldn’t she eat like before?

  “No need to answer,” he said with a sigh. “I can read the decision in your eyes.”

  Perceptive man. “So how’d you dodge those pyre-beams? I can do it, sure, but I’ve been doing it for a long time. Which also means I’ve seen a lot of aliens over the years. I’ve never seen one move like you. And yeah, I could still see you when you shed your color.”

  He regarded her intently for a moment, as though an internal battle was raging inside his mind. Finally, his shoulders lifted in another shrug. “Don’t let my weak appearance fool you. The disease I told you about? It’s a being inside of me, a parasite that grows stronger while my health declines. It told me when and where to move.”

  A being that spoke to him? Poor guy needed a psychiatrist, she thought, then blinked. He’d dodged those beams, something she had already admitted she’d never seen another person do. And while he did appear near death, he didn’t look crazy. “Did this being also help you absorb those stun rays rather than lose control of your body?”

  Slowly he grinned and glided a trembling finger along the necklace he wore. “That was all me, baby.”

  That grin lit up his face and erased the grayish tint to his skin, offering a glimpse of the devilishly handsome man he’d been before. “How? The necklace?”

  “Necklace?” He frowned in confusion. He must not have realized he’d been playing with it. “Oh. Nah. It’s just a pretty decoration,” he said. “But like I said, I’ll tell you how I did it if you release me.”

  “Not gonna happen.”

  His jaw hardened. “Then this conversation is over.”

  “Fine. Have it your way.” Sighing, she stood. “I have to leave for a little while, anyway.”

  Before she could face Devyn again, she had to feed. Keeping the entire meal down would be nice, as well, but miracles were few and far between nowadays. At least her desperate body would quickly absorb those first few sips of blood before the roller-coaster ride of nausea began.

  There was a flash of panic in Nolan’s eyes. “Where are you going?”

  “My fridge is empty, and I need to grocery shop.” That’s what her live-in boyfriend used to say. Thankfully Nolan didn’t search the kitchen for said fridge. She didn’t own one. Besides, her statement wasn’t technically a lie. She needed food. “Do you like wine?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then we’ll share a toast before I go.” She crossed the small space into the kitchen, cutting her palm with the razor in her shirtsleeve as she walked. She held tight to every precious drop until she pulled a glass from the cupboard. The moment she opened her fingers, a pool of blood trickled from her and lined the bottom. Too slowly for her peace of mind, the wound healed, flesh weaving back together and finally sealing shut.

  “What are we toasting?”

  “Devyn’s downfall.” She filled the rest of the glass with her most expensive red. The thought of drinking blood would be abhorrent to him, she knew. It was abhorrent to everyone but her. But he needed something—besides sex—to heal him, or he might not last out the day. Hopefully her blood would do the trick and not turn him into a vamp or kill him outright, as most movies and books claimed.

  She’d never shared her blood with anyone for those very reasons. While she would enjoy having another vampire running around, hunting with her, drinking with her, Aleaha was the only person she’d ever loved enough to attempt it on—but she’d also loved the girl enough not to do so. Too risky. Guess she’d find out what happened to people who drank her blood when she returned.

  When she faced Nolan, she saw that he was sitting up, arm outstretched through the bar. Waiting patiently. She hurried over to him, careful not to slosh a single drop over the side.

  “Aren’t you going to have a glass?” he asked.

  “Of course.” Red wine was the only human beverage she enjoyed. Back in the kitchen she poured another tumbler full. She rejoined Nolan and they held up their cups in unison. “To Devyn’s downfall.”

  Together, they drained the contents.

  The red liquid slid down her throat, warm and smooth, but not what she needed. At least her stomach remained calm. “Glass, please,” she said, holding out her hand. If he were to drop it and cut himself, well, that wouldn’t be good.

  Though he was scowling at her, he relinquished possession without incident.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He eased back on the cot and stared up at the ceiling. “Will you at least leave me a game or something? Any more from the stupid voice in my head, and I’ll welcome a lynch mob.”

  “I don’t have any games. You should nap. Might help you heal.”

  “That’s what I’ve been doing for four days, and as you can see, I haven’t healed.”

  Guilt wound through her. She’d wanted to capture him, yes, but not torture him. “What if I switch on the TV?”

  “Fine.” He waved his hand in dismissal, but she noticed the action was stronger, less shaky than any he’d made before. Was her blood already working, or was he excited at the thought of watching television and simply didn’t want her to know? “Whatever.”

  She almost laughed. A “Yes, Bride, thank you, Bride” wouldn’t have been amiss. Men. After she’d angled the screen toward the cell and found him a decent station—As the Otherworld Turns was playing—she crossed her arms over her middle. “Do you need anything else?”

  “Freedom would be nice.”

  “Besides that.”

  His gaze pursued her, lingering on her breasts, between her legs. “How about your body?”

  “Besides that.”

  A moment passed while he considered his other options. “You know what sounds really nice about now? Not just Devyn’s downfall, but his head on a platter.”

  Slowly she grinned. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  CHAPTER 6

  For three days, Devyn kept Macy in his sights. He even escorted her throughout the city at all hours on the pretense of searching for Bride, never telling her that she was merely his bait. She’d been more than happy to join him. She had no idea he kept her on a deliberate path, planting her scent along select buildings and shops.

  To his consternation, Bride never revealed herself, and he never felt her eyes on him. Didn’t matter. One way or another, he would draw her out of hiding. He was determined. He’d give this one more day, then think of something else to do.

  “Ready to move on?” he asked.

  “No. I texted Breean when I realized where we were headed, so he’s on his way here. Besides, we’ve just been going in circles,” Macy said, frustration dripping from every word.

  They were in front of his brand-new apartment complex, the top floor purchased for his and Bride’s exclusive use, for the second time that day. They had been here twice yesterday and four times the day before. For some strange reason, he was struck by the urge to “think” about their next plan of action every time they
reached this point. And yeah, he’d taken Macy inside a few times, straight to the door that would later become known as Bride’s Surrender.

  Now he studied her, this former model, now an agent, who was unintentionally aiding him. Sunlight bathed her, highlighting the delicacy of her deceptively innocent features—the girl had a temper and had once slit her own boyfriend’s throat. Her skin was creamy and rich, but more than that…surely not…couldn’t be. Except, the more intently he looked, the more he was sure he saw a second, startling layer to her. As though she wore a mask. Like Bride.

  Devyn intensified his focus. Maybe he’d never looked closely enough to notice the nuances of her, but he was looking now. Finally seeing. At first glance, Macy’s eyes were large, a mix of blue and silver. A cap of pale hair framed her face. Her nose was small, and her cheeks rounded, like a cherub’s. Now he could see a wider set of green eyes. A longer nose, slimmer cheeks. Dark hair.

  Bride, too, had dark hair. Bride had green eyes, as well, though hers were a brighter, lighter shade. Were the two more than friends, perhaps? Were they sisters? Macy wasn’t a vampire, but then Bride, with all that sparkling energy and the ability to turn into mist, was definitely more than a vampire. As he’d already surmised. He just had to figure out what else she was. Couldn’t be cyborg, as he’d hoped. Wires and metal couldn’t change into water.

  “What?” Macy asked, shifting uncomfortably. “You’re staring.”

  He forced a flirtatious chuckle. “You’re pretty, is all.”

  “Macy,” a male voice called.

  Both of them turned.

  “Breean,” she said with relief. “You made it.”

  The golden giant’s pace increased. When he reached the agent, he pulled her away from Devyn’s side and into his arms. Devyn sighed. Possessive, jealous men were a nuisance. He hadn’t been that way over his shrew of a wife, and he wouldn’t be that way over one of his many lovers. Ever.