The Forbidden: A Huntress Novel (The Huntress Series Book 1)

by Adria Wade

  “I’m sorry for being a jerk. I just don’t want to lose you.”

  “I have to go.”

  “Don’t kiss him…do not kiss Brody,” and that was a warning.

  “I hope I don’t have to.”

  I shut the car door and watched as he drove off down dark road. Tonight was a wakeup call for me. I am walking on a very dangerous road, a road that will carry the fate of my demise if I don’t turn around soon.

  I closed my eyes and held onto my chest. I could already feel the pain brewing inside of me. What choice do I have, losing Lucas was inevitable.

  Staying away from him will save us both. Being separated from each other will hurt us both, but at least we won’t face death for being together.

  Chapter Twelve

  The second I stepped foot in my home, I sat down on the hardwood floor and removed my flats. The manor was quiet and very much abandoned, but that is usual on the weekends. I’m lucky if I see at least a dozen of hunters roaming around the manor’s hallways during our time off.

  I threw my shoes at the bench that stood close to the door and stood on my feet. Taking off my jacket, I placed it on the round table that stood in the middle of the foyer. The candles were burning and floating in the glass bowl that laid in the center of the table.

  I walked over to the wall and ran my hand over the face portraits of all of the hunters and huntresses that were painted throughout the foyer and dining area, leading all the way up to the second floor hallways. Shaking my head, I exhaled after finding my face amongst my fellow reapers. If Cameron goes to my father about Lucas my reaper family will see my portrait on this wall and will always be reminded of my betrayal. I have to stop Cameron, I cannot let her ruin my reputation as being one of the most trusted huntresses and the best fighter in the manor.

  I climbed the staircase and walked the halls of the second floor, making my way to the east wing where Isaac’s bedroom was. His bedroom was far away from mine, I was in the west wing. I’m shocked my father didn’t move his bedroom right next to mine or worse force us to share a room when we broke up. My dad was so proud that I actually found a guy he approved of, someone who he trusted to keep his society of reapers going long after he was gone. Not that he doesn’t have faith in me, he knows that I can get the job done without Isaac by my side, but I know he expects so much more out of me than just being a huntress. How about being a wife and mom who will raise his grandchildren to hunt and kill immortals also, but he will only accept those grandchildren if it is with the guy of his choosing.

  As I turned the corner, I could see Isaac’s door straight down the hallway. I knew that’s where I would find Cameron. Since she became one of us, she moved in and is now sharing a room with Isaac.

  I opened the cracked door and walked inside. Cameron nor Isaac were nowhere in sight. Boxes filled with Cameron’s belongings were stacked on the blue carpet. Cans of paint were in the corner.

  I looked at the white colored walls; finally, someone is going to paint this room. When I was with Isaac, I would try to convince him to paint his room so his walls wouldn’t look so boring all the time, but he wouldn’t hear any of it.

  Both of their clothes were folded and laid in piles on their queen size bed, covering the pink and black duvet. I laughed and shook my head. The Isaac I knew would never let pink in his bedroom. He obviously didn’t have to worry about me forcing pink on him, I’m not that fond of the color. The girl he was dating before me did love pink though and she would leave pink items in his room on purpose because she knew he hated it.

  Cameron walked out of her bathroom holding an empty box in her hands.

  She had her hair up in a messy bun and was wearing one of Isaac’s t-shirts with very short night shorts that could pass for underwear.

  She scowled and dropped the box on the floor. “I don’t think I heard you knock.”

  She kneeled on the floor and cut open another box with a box cutter.

  “That’s because I didn’t.”

  She shrugged. “That’s okay. I know you weren’t taught manners so I will let it slide this time.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, I need to talk to you.”

  “Is this about the vampire boy I saw you with?”

  “Yes, actually it is and I would appreciate it if you kept it a secret.”

  “What I don’t understand is how you go out killing their kind then go hang out with them after the fact.”

  “I don’t hang out with them, Cameron. Lucas was the only exception. I had to go out with him to get information on my recurring dreams, he was the only person who knew anything about them.”

  She stood from the floor and folded her arms as she pursed her lips. “Now you know my name?”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in. I was attempting to actually try to reason with her without bringing my fists into it, but trying to have a conversation with this chick is like pulling teeth. Since she wants to be a smart ass about it, I think I am going to get a little rough with her, intimidate her a bit to make her take me seriously and so she won’t go running to my father.

  I glared her way as I stepped forward entering her personal space. Her brows furrowed as she took a step back and her body tensed. She actually thought she had the control over me, well that thought makes me want to laugh in her face.

  I grabbed her shirt and shoved her against the wall. “You listen to me, you will keep your mouth shut about Lucas. You will not tell my father, you won’t tell Isaac about him and you sure as hell won’t tell any of your new friends around here either. What happened between me and that vampire was nothing to get me into trouble over!”

  She grasped my wrists and shoved me backward. Her actions alerted the beast inside of me to come out and defend me. My heartbeat picked up speed as I began to pant. My body was begging me to let my power come out but I fought against it in fear that I would kill this girl if I let myself lose control. I really don’t think she knows who she is dealing with.

  I clenched my fist and swung at her, feeling my fist connect with her jaw as she fell on her knees and held her mouth as blood spilled out of it. As she stood, her brown eyes slowly turned the color of the reaper, her clenched fist shook ready to strike. Before she could even attempt to hit me, I kicked her in the stomach forcing her to bend forward. Grabbing her by the hair I rammed my knee into her face. She fell backward screaming as blood gushed out of her nose.

  “Keep your mouth shut about Lucas and if I were you, I wouldn’t ever think about crossing me again.”

  “Okay, I get it, now get out!” She snapped.

  I grinned and nodded once. “Nice doing business with you.”

  I slammed the door shut and went in search of Brody. Wandering around the halls of the manor, I walked over to a group of guys standing around and carrying on. Amongst them was Kyle, the one who had just recently lost his fiancé, Julie. He was leaning against the wall half-smiling as his friends joked around. He hasn’t been himself since he lost her, he looks lifeless and filled with darkness, like the sun in his world has been hiding under dark, thick rain clouds.

  “Hey Kyle, have you seen Brody?”

  His brows furrowed. “Rookie?” He asked in surprise.

  “Yeah, I need to talk to him.”

  “Wait, are you seeing him?”

  “We have gone out a few times.”

  That was such a lie, but I needed this gossip to get around so no one would suspect that I was out with a vampire if Cameron does decide to go to my father. I am hoping more than ever now that Brody goes along with my plan.

  “The last time I had seen him he was headed to the training facility.”

  “Thanks.”

  The training facility is where all of the new members amongst us hunters goes to learn how to fight off the enemy.

  I walked down the staircase to the kitchen where I went out onto the patio in the backyard. I followed the pathway to the training facility that was located behind the manor.

  I
placed my hand on the fingerprint scanner so it could determine who I was and let me inside the building. A woman’s robotic voice began to talk.

  “Athena Bram, welcome…you may enter.”

  The glass doors slid open and I walked inside the lobby area. Gretchen, the receptionist, looked up from the stack of files sitting on her desk and fixed her glasses. Gretchen is in charge of background checks on all of the hunters to make sure that we don’t accidently let a vampire in the manor.

  She also handles the calls from the other manor’s throughout the other states and makes sure that they are being ran properly.

  She smiled. “Hello, Ms. Bram.”

  “Hello.”

  I gave her a smile and entered the first section of the training rooms.

  There was a class still in progress, but I walked inside anyway. The students were shooting arrows at vampire dummies. They were split up into three lines holding their bows and waiting for their turn.

  I waited until after they shot their arrows to walk by quickly, but as I did so, a tall, thin girl with her bleached blond hair up in a bun shot her arrow deliberately. I gasped and stepped back in a haste as the arrow flew past my face.

  She glared my way. “Watch it, Bram!”

  Oh no, I am not about to let some newbie disrespect me…she needs to learn a lesson.

  Just as a guy behind me shot his arrow I spun around and caught it in mid-flight and threw it at her. She gasped and fell down holding her thigh as it stabbed through her skin.

  Feeling satisfied, I grinned. “When you can do that little maneuver come find me and we will see who wins in a fight between you and I. Until then mind your attitude with me rookie.”

  “Ah, Ms. Bram, I can always tell when you are in my class. Causing another disturbance, I see.”

  “And as always it isn’t me who starts the fights, I just finish them.”

  Mrs. Whitley used to be my teacher back when I was still in training.

  Even though I excelled in her class, she still thought I was nothing but a troublemaker. After all these years she still looks the same, she still wore glasses, even though I would have thought that maybe she would switch to contacts but I guess she prefers the glasses. She still wears her light brown hair back in a ponytail.

  I opened the door to the next training room and walked inside. There were blue mats covering the floor as the students were paired up and were fighting against one another. I searched the room hoping Brody would be attending this class so I wouldn’t have to go around scanning every room in the building. I spotted him in the corner sucking down a bottle of water.

  “Brody!” I called.

  He beamed and came running over to me. “Hey, what brings you here?”

  “You.”

  “Me? So you do want this hot body,” He folded his arms as he grinned down at me.

  “You wish, buddy.” I shook my head and stifled a smile. He is so fool of himself.

  “So, we went to see a movie tonight.”

  “And I bought you popcorn to go with your drink.”

  I nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

  He smirked. “So what did you do?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked sweetly as I smiled and batted my eyelashes attempting to look as innocent as possible.

  “Hmm,” He tapped his finger on his chin deliberating whether or not to go along with me. “Okay, but it really is going to cost you a date with me.”

  I smirked and rolled my eyes playfully. “I thought it would. Thank you.”

  “I’m curious, is this whole fake date thing to make your father angry?”

  I thought about the dinner I am being forced to go to with my father and Isaac and how bringing Brody along would really piss him off. More than likely my dad will use this dinner to try to get Isaac and myself back together.

  “Would you do me another favor and come along to the dinner date I’m supposed to be attending with my father and Isaac?”

  “I don’t know, I don’t think I want to cross your father. He seems dead set on having you with Isaac. I know he is your father, but I think he is capable of killing me just to keep me away from you.”

  “Oh I know he would, but I don’t have any intentions on being with Isaac and Isaac feels the same way…I would really appreciate it if you came along and helped me out.”

  He sighed. “You are so lucky I like you, Bram. Sure, I will come along and pretend to be your lover to piss your father off.”

  I grinned, stood on my toes, and kissed his cheeks. “Thank you. I’ll make sure your safe with my dad. So be ready at eight tomorrow and wear a suit.”

  “Are we dining at a fancy restaurant?”

  “Yes, and my father and Isaac don’t know you’re coming so I am anticipating their reactions already.”

  “Daddy issues, much?”

  I rolled my eyes and sighed. “You have no idea what I have to endure.”

  “Does your father like surprises?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know…I really don’t know much about him and what he likes.”

  “Maybe you should tell him that I am coming beforehand, I would like to stay on his good side…if I can.”

  “Brody, everything will be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I am actually looking forward to the dinner date now that I have Brody coming along, with him there my time with my father will be less miserable.

  I have an alibi for where I was at tonight, and of course if my dad doesn’t believe me I will have Brody backing my story up so he will be forced to believe me then. I’m not so sure what I am going to do with Lucas, yes I have fallen for him and I find it very hard to block him out of my brain let alone stay away from him. However, I must do what is best for the both of us and maybe loving each other isn’t what is best for us. If I wasn’t a huntress I wouldn’t even be in this situation, I wouldn’t fight with myself to forget about him and to not love him…he would have already won me over completely and would have turned me into a blood sucking immortal, but since I am a huntress with a reaper family that will gladly dispose of me just for loving him, I have to be cautious and do what I have to do to protect myself even if that means I would have to suffer a broken heart in the process.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I was running a comb through my wet hair as I sat on my bed in nothing but my bathrobe watching television on my flat-screen when Chelsea came running in the room with a look of disbelief on her face.

  “What?”

  “Have you seen Cameron?”

  Oh no, this is about the bruises I was responsible for. Chelsea couldn’t know that I had caused her injuries because she couldn’t know that I went out on a date with the enemy. I have to play it off as best as I can.

  “No, what happened?”

  “She was involved in a fight and the person who did it messed her face up pretty bad. The rumor around the manor is that a huntress was responsible for it, but they don’t know who. I think she was in a brawl with someone outside of the manor because I had her go out tonight.”

  She grabbed on my arm and tugged. “Come on, I have to return your book to your library and get a new one.”

  “I can’t go to my library right now I am naked under here.”

  She pulled me to my feet. “No one will realize you’re naked, for all they know you have shorts and a tank top on under your robe.”

  “Fine, let me get my key.” Opening my side table, I grabbed the key.

  “Let’s go.”

  I cautiously walked out of my room and into the hall, thankfully there was no one around. The teenage boys in the manor are girl crazy perverts and would without a doubt lift my robe up to get a peek of what’s underneath. I wanted to avoid the embarrassment of having my lady parts shown to half of the boys that live here. I would surely get a bad rep. for that one.

  “See, no one is out here.”

  “What did you mean when you said you had Cameron go out tonight?”

  “Oh, I paid her fifty
dollars to follow you and see who the mystery guy was. She is an expensive little thing, her negotiating skills are good because she wouldn’t agree to do it if I went under fifty dollars.”

  I blinked in surprise as my mouth fell open. So Chelsea is the reason why I had Cameron following me. She is the reason why I had to practically bully Cameron into not telling. Bullying isn’t my style and it was actually the first time I have ever done it. If only Chelsea wasn’t so damn curious about who I was going out with, this whole problem could have been avoided. I couldn’t yell at her for it because she had no idea who I was out with. She obviously went to see Cameron, but it looks like Cameron kept the secret to herself. Good, that is exactly how I want it.

  I shook my head. “Nosy, much,” I mumbled.

  “Well, if you weren’t so damn secretive about the guy, then I wouldn’t have you followed.”

  “Don’t tell me you turned into some stalker best friend who obsesses over the guys I am dating.”

  She glanced at me before scowling down at the floor. “You have never been so secretive with me before. I am not used to this; I am your best friend, you used to tell me everything.”

  “Sometimes there are secrets that people have that are better left unsaid.”

  I put the key in my door and unlocked it before pushing it open. A gush of cold air hit us both as I turned on the light of my own private library.

  Chelsea rubbed her arms as the hair on her arms raised and a chill crept up on her skin. “Why is it so damn cold in this room?”

  “It’s always cold in here.”

  Long, wide bookcases filled with books of every genre were on every wall of the spacious room. Romance; fantasy; thriller, the list goes on. The library was a gift given by my father, well; it was more like a bribe really. After I ended my relationship with Isaac, my dad tried to bargain with me. He had my own private library built to bribe me into taking Isaac back. I refused and when my father threatened to take my gift away, Mrs. Wilson wasn’t having any of that, she chastised him and forced him to let me keep it. She may be our housekeeper but she is a part of the family and my dad has grown to care for her and does listen to her when he is being scolded for being unreasonable.