Trina M. Lee

by Alexa O'Brien Huntress Series Book 1-4 Box Set (Retail)

  As we progressed from block to block, my senses began to burn like wildfire. The energy of the Were was strong, thick with the negative lashings of unrestrained primal fury. She was hunting. I could feel it. It caused me to quicken my pace. Kale was hot on my heels.

  “This werewolf is hunting somebody,” Kale said, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the silence around us. “Her hunger is so fierce. I hope she doesn’t already have prey in her sights.”

  I knew the werewolf we sought wasn’t far. I allowed both my nose and my psychic abilities to guide me. Together, one sense seemed to complement the other so that I could almost see her in my mind’s eye.

  My legs moved faster until I was almost running. I knew she was close, and I wanted to reach her before she caught my scent and ran. I could feel Kale beside me, moving with the stealth and grace that nothing living could ever possess. Now that we’d located our target, the urgency within us grew. The power inside me seemed to respond to the excitement of my wolf. It began to scratch at me like a dog begging to be let out.

  “This way,” I announced when instinct and the sudden tangy scent of blood pulled me between two shabby looking apartment buildings.

  As we slipped between the buildings, the pale glow of the streetlight behind us fell away. There was only darkness ahead. My eyes quickly adjusted, making out what lay before me. It was a parking lot with an alley running behind it. One single, dim bulb glowed in a streetlight near an overflowing dumpster.

  Rounding the building, I already knew what I would see between the building and the dumpster: our werewolf and what was left of her prey. She hovered over the body of a man, tearing chunks of flesh from the bone with a ripping, squishing sound. She was so engrossed in feasting on the kill that it took a solid five or ten seconds before she looked up at us.

  We were too late for this victim, but there wouldn’t be another. Her dark wolf eyes landed on us, and the vacancy within them struck me as eerie. She was completely out of her mind. Not a semblance of sanity remained in her murderous gaze. Her face and hands were smeared with blood, so much so that I couldn’t tell at first glance what shade her olive skin was. Her long, black hair hung in dread-like chunks to her waist, and her clothing was splattered with blood and gore.

  For a split second, I flashed back, seeing an image in my mind of a time when I’d slaughtered a man just like this. After Arys and I had bonded, I’d lost control to the hunger and killed a human who was abusing his girlfriend. She had thanked me later. The gruesome images were never far from my mind. I lived with the fear of losing control like that again.

  Then, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Even though it all happened so fast, it was like a slow moving sports replay before my eyes.

  Kale launched into action in the same moment that the crazy she-wolf did. I hung back, watching and waiting with a flaming ball of blue and golden energy glowing in the palm of my hand.

  She rushed him, her garbled snarl sounded all wrong as it came from between her human lips. He anticipated her blow and easily took her off her feet with one outstretched arm. In a flash, she regained her footing and slashed at him with both clawed, bloody hands.

  The craving for blood and power grew inside me. I threw the power I held at the rabid she-wolf, and it successfully knocked the breath from her. She went down on her rear end, choking and gasping for air. Kale stood over her, unleashing blows that would have killed most mortals. It didn’t even faze her.

  She came up scratching and biting, fighting for his throat even as he beat her back down again. I moved to shadow him in case she gained an advantage, but Kale stunned her with a blast of power at point blank range. It didn’t throw her like I expected, though it did knock her senseless for a moment. She stared with wide eyes, and a high-pitched wail filled the night.

  I made the mistake of letting my guard down for a split second. I turned to Kale with a question on my lips, taking my eyes from her as her instinct kicked in, driving her to fight harder. Despite Kale’s reaction, he wasn’t able to block her and searing heat cut through me as three of her claws bit through the material of my sweater. The blood ran from the deep slashes.

  “Alexa?” Kale asked, never pausing to look at me as he grasped the Were by the neck and dragged her close. “Are you ok?”

  She flailed wildly, beating at the vampire uselessly. He deflected each blow with his free arm, but his eyes now locked on the pulse in her throat. My fury grew with every crimson drop that coursed down my arm. I lashed out with a blast of energy, causing her to cry out in pain. That wasn’t enough for me. With a growl emanating from me, I struggled to get in between them, punching at her with a tight fist. I wanted to tear her apart.

  “Let me kill her,” I cried out, irrational in the surge of rage that swept me.

  “No way. She’s mine.” Kale jerked the werewolf roughly so that she stumbled against him. Kale was in need of a fix, and it showed. His lips peeled back in a snarl, and he sunk fangs into the thrashing werewolf so hard that I felt it like a kick in the gut as I watched.

  Blood poured from the wound as Kale opened the artery. The scent was suddenly heavy and thick all around us. As he drank in both blood and energy, the combination of physical power and hunger struck deep in me. Though I suffered the same weakness as Kale, our hungers were rooted in different places.

  Watching him drain the werewolf to the point of death made me feel like I was spying on a personal moment, one that I shouldn’t be seeing. It was as intimate as if I’d been watching him have sex. I have seen Kale kill but never have I seen him feed.

  Turning my back on Kale wasn’t something I wanted to do, but watching gave me the same sensation I got when I saw Arys kill: I liked it. I hated that I did, but there was no sense denying it. So, I didn’t move. I stood frozen, feeling like a naive novice. Every time I thought I knew what world I was a part of, I was thrown for a loop.

  It was impossible not to feel the powerful energy rolling off Kale as he feasted on the intoxicating wolf blood. It swept me up in its inviting glow.

  The wolf in his grasp put up a pitiful struggle, but it didn’t take long for her strength to wane. She made a series of unintelligible sounds as if she was attempting to speak. It wasn’t long until she was silent and limp as Kale deposited her on the ground at his feet. My eyes strayed to the punctures in her throat and the blood oozing from the wound.

  When I met Kale’s eyes, they weren’t crazed or monstrous. However, they were calculating and watchful. I couldn’t help but be affected by him as he crossed the short distance between us. In no way was I prepared for what he did.

  Not for one moment did he pause or hesitate as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him. There was a strange look in his haunting eyes as he tipped my head up, forcing me to meet his eerie gaze. He kissed me with a depth that instantly transcended physical. I was pleasantly surprised to find blood still in his mouth. I was also shocked at my own sudden eagerness.

  His tongue sought my own, and the blood dripped from his mouth to mine. He was ablaze with energy that forced any doubt or reluctance from me. The mix of vampire and werewolf power inside me was intrigued, curious to know what Kale had to offer.

  Even as I savored the way the blood scratched Arys’s itch inside me, I was drawn to Kale’s centuries old energy. It wasn’t the same with Arys. I had a bond with him that went to the root of our metaphysical makeup. Instead, I realized that I could feed on Kale’s power and use it as my own. I realized that my power viewed Kale as a source to feed from, which was empowering after the night in the Charger when he’d made me the victim. I was fully aware of him drawing on my power as well, but this was different because I had control.

  I allowed myself to fall into the power and ride out the wave that held us in its thrall. I tasted him with a selfish abandon that overruled my common sense. My wolf was pressing the surface of my control, and the desire to spill his blood won out.

  I bit his tongue, just enough to get a taste of him. Ka
le’s blood was an intoxicating blend of rich, age-old power and time. Power that didn’t get exercised the way that it should. My body responded to him against my will as his deathly alluring darkness touched me in forbidden places.

  He broke off the kiss and stepped back. I couldn’t prevent the gasp that came from me. I stared at him in awestruck wonder as I licked the blood from my lips. In light of what he’d told me earlier, I couldn’t decide which of us was the cause of this strange moment.

  I searched Kale’s eyes for a sign of his reaction. He regarded me coolly, as if he didn’t trust himself to speak. Tentatively, he reached a pale hand out to touch the bleeding gashes along my upper arm. I was afraid to speak and break the strange spell as I watched him then lick my blood from the tips of his fingers.

  “I’m sorry,” Kale spoke softly, a look of shame evident in his contrasting eyes. “We should go.”

  Now that I’d tuned into Kale’s personal energy, I could really feel the sadness and sense of loss. I hadn’t been aware he carried it around so strongly. He was a very lost man. Kale needed to find himself. Something I felt I was still only beginning to do myself.

  “Don’t be sorry,” I breathed, unable to make the words come out any stronger. I had to take a few deep breaths. “Don’t deny what you are, Kale. And, never apologize for it.”

  “You make it sound so easy.” He eyed the pulse leaping hard in my throat, and I swallowed hard.

  “It can be. It doesn’t have to be something you deny in order to maintain control. You can’t ignore what you are or what you need.”

  His eyes closed briefly, his dark lashes framing them beautifully. A pained expression crossed his face. “I have to ignore this need, so we have to leave before I do give in.”

  It frightened me when he said that because I could feel the raw honesty in his tone. After the kiss we’d just shared, my own control was seriously being tested. The energy of the hunger has a way of trying to sway decisions, and it was always about the power.

  My tongue held the combined taste of both the dead wolf and Kale. I couldn’t resist licking my lips once again, tasting them both.

  “Alright, let’s get out of here.” I nodded toward the dead she-wolf just yards away. “Veryl can send someone else to deal with that.”

  “Thank you, Alexa.” Kale nodded and tipped his hat to me like the classy gentleman he usually was. “You are a true gem.”

  I concentrated on taking deep breaths in order to slow the beating of my thrashing heart. My mind was reeling, and it was all I could do not to giggle foolishly in response to the power high.

  As we made our way back toward the filthy street front, I wiped at my bloody arm. It wasn’t as bad as it felt. If I thought I’d had worries about what to tell Arys and Shaz before, I sure had them now. I chewed my lower lip nervously as I turned that conversation over in my head. Maybe … maybe it was better kept quiet for now.

  Chapter Eight

  I stifled a yawn and took another sip from my paper coffee cup. Jez pulled a skimpy French maid costume from the clothing rack, and I shook my head vigorously in response.

  “You wouldn’t seriously wear that, would you?” I reached past her to finger the material of a velvet medieval gown.

  “I don’t know. I could be Magenta from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” She eyed the price tag before putting it back. “It’s a cute option anyway.”

  “You should be someone really badass,” I said, moving to another wall of costumes. “Like Beatrix Kiddo.”

  Jez tucked a long golden strand of hair behind an ear that was adorned with a large silver hoop. She looked both casual and stylish in a leather jacket and biker boots. The blue jeans she wore fit her slender legs like a second skin.

  “Mmm,” she purred, licking her bright red lips. “That would be a good one. Do you have any idea what you want to be?”

  I gave my head a shake, causing my long ponytail to brush against my elbow. I had already turned my nose up at hundreds of costumes. I was getting ready to give up.

  “Lex? Why don’t you go as something like this? Blow the socks off your boys.”

  When I looked over to where she stood about thirty feet away, I could barely make out the flimsy scrap of fabric she held.

  “Um, what the heck is that?” I walked over to her, careful to avoid the nosy saleswoman that had been after us since we walked in the door.

  “It’s a Jane costume,” she giggled. “You know, Tarzan’s woman.”

  “Oh shit, no way.” I laughed but refused to accept the tiny outfit when she extended it to me. “I’d like to wear a little more than that. And, I think I get enough of that “me Tarzan, you Jane” shit as it is from those guys.”

  “But, it would make your boobs look amazing. Mine aren’t big enough to wear something like this.” She tried to hold the small leopard print material up to my breasts and I snatched it out of her hand, returning it quickly to its hanger. She gave me a dirty look and said, “Suit yourself, but it would have been perfect.”

  I wandered aimlessly from rack to rack. From Little Bo Peep to the Wicked Witch of the West, I considered and rejected everything. The sales lady decided she was brave enough to ask me one more time if I needed assistance. I successfully resisted the urge to bare fangs and snarl.

  “Alright, you’re trying this on if I have to wrestle you into it myself.” Jez approached with a gleam in her eye and something black and red clutched in her hand.

  “Jez…” I was wary of what hideous outfit she was going to thrust at me now. She grabbed my hand and dragged me unwillingly into the nearest change room.

  Once inside she tugged lightly at my tank top, rushing me before I’d even gotten a look at what she held. “Just hold on a minute here. What are you trying to do to me?” I grabbed the red and black costume from her hand.

  A black strapless corset dress laced in red trim along with a silky red cape made me raise an eyebrow in question.

  “It’s Little Red Riding Hood. It makes perfect sense. You are the big bad wolf so you might as well be the innocent little vixen as well. Just put it on. You’ll knock ‘em dead if you wear this.”

  I had to admit that it was a pretty sexy costume without being overly trashy. Jez may not be straight, but she was one of my best friends. So, even though I would never change in front of my guy friends, changing in front of her wasn’t as awkward as one might think.

  She took my coffee cup and motioned for me to get moving. When I’d exchanged my comfy blue jeans and tank top for the costume, I had to do a double take at my reflection in the mirror. The dress clung to my curves, passing my thighs and rear end but ending well above the knee. My boosted cleavage was certainly eye catching. It looked better than usual. My running shoes didn’t look as good as knee high boots would, but I could easily envision it.

  The cape was just a little longer than the dress, brushing the back of my knees. It was incredibly soft and a glance at the price tag made me think that for that kind of dough, it had better be.

  “This has to be the one. You look amazing. What do you think?” Jez stood beside me. Her reflection in the mirror nodded in serious approval. “Just make sure you wear some lipstick on Halloween. Red will really make your eyes pop.”

  I rolled my eyes at her, watching my reflection as I did so. I loved the outfit and the irony of being Little Red Riding Hood kind of appealed to me.

  “I like it,” I conceded, and she smiled knowingly. “Does this mean I get to pick something out for you now?”

  “Not a chance.”

  Twenty minutes and nearly a day’s pay later, we were on our way out of the mall. Jez had settled on the black and yellow Kill Bill costume I’d suggested. I had my moment of gloating at that. She admitted that I was right. No one else could rock that outfit like she could.

  It was dark already. The sun descended long before supper during the fall. Arys sure didn’t mind. It gave him significantly more freedom.

  The parking lot hummed with the ener
gy of dozens of dimly lit lights. Jez continued to chatter on about the latest hot lady she was dating as we made our way to the car.

  “Can you believe that? She actually told me that she’s dating two other women as well as me. That’s some nerve alright. I have to break it off.”

  “Hey, hypocrite,” I said, pulling out my car keys as we drew closer to the Charger. “Aren’t you practically always dating more than one person?”

  “No, not always. I’m just trying to keep my options open in case Miss Right comes along. And, don’t be tossing ugly words around, Alexa. You’d be super pissed if Shaz or Arys were seeing someone else.” She wagged a finger at me, and I ignored it.

  What she said was true, for the most part. However, that just wasn’t an issue with Shaz. But Arys, I didn’t always know what he was up to with his victims. It wasn’t something we talked about. Maybe because I didn’t really want to know.

  “So,” Jez continued animatedly. “Are you sure you don’t want to come stake a few vampires tonight? I mean, I know you said you don’t think it’s a good idea to hang with Kale tonight, but we could ditch him.”

  I looked up at her suddenly in shock, and she was grinning from ear to ear. I’d told Jez all about my recent outings with Kale, much to her delighted surprise. She was always one for juicy gossip.

  “Very funny, Jez. If you had been there last night, you wouldn’t be making jokes.” We got into the car, and I gave her a look. She continued to smile.

  “I believe you. I still think it sounds sexy though.” She shrugged and tossed her thick, leopard gold mane. “You’re the one with all of the vampire mojo going on. I’m surprised you don’t want a taste of Kale. And, I mean that in the best way possible.”

  She held up both hands in mock defense, and I decided to let that one slide. We cruised through the city, headed toward the office. We carried on casual conversation along the way, but I couldn’t help but mull over what she’d said.

  I’d tasted Kale last night. His strong, coppery blood had dripped inside my mouth so that I could taste him in both body and power. I hadn’t known that I’d wanted to until it had been happening, but I had wanted it bad in that moment. The only reason that bothered me was that I’d once accused Arys of being power hungry, wanting whatever he could get from me. It nagged at me that perhaps I wasn’t so different. No, I definitely would not be going out on the hunt with Kale and Jez this evening.