Hunted (Scarlet Dawson Book 1)

by Nicola Chadwick

  I tried to speak to tell them but it just came out a gurgle. Instead I mustered all the strength I’d got and extended my fangs. I’d never done it before and it really hurt, but the sting of my teeth extending to double their size was nothing compared to the numbness that was stealing away my body.

  Bryn noticed first. “Look her fangs are out, she wants blood, that’s how we can help her.” He bent to shove Bastian out of the way but he wouldn’t budge. “Let me near her I can help her.” Bryn demands.

  “And risk her turning into a Vampyre. Yes that’s right I know what happens to Fae blood addicts. So I don’t think she’ll be drinking from you. She has less of a chance with Lycan blood and there no risk of her becoming Lycan because of her heritage. I will help her.” He grinds the words out, daring Bryn to challenge him in front of The Pack.

  Roan looks at me then Bastian and said. “You do realise what you are potentially doing, don’t you.”

  Bastian looks at me and sees the desperation pleading in my eyes. “Everyone clear out, take posts around the perimeter we need some privacy.”

  Roan stays until all the others have left, a silent conversation passing between Bastian and himself. He stalks off and seems generally pissed off at the prospect of what was happening.

  Bastian picks me up and sits me sideways on his legs as he leans against the nearby cliff wall his strong arms cradling me. He positions my head in the crook of his arm then lowers his neck to my mouth, my fangs pierce his flesh and the warm metallic tasting liquid spills quickly into my mouth.

  I drink as deeply as I can. My head and mouth nuzzling at his neck, I feel him shift beneath me and moan. I know what he was feeling but I ignored it, thinking only of my survival. “You’re going to hate me in the morning.” He whispers.

  As I finish I feel no different, I really thought that this would be the answer. I withdraw from his neck, no energy left and succumb to the dark numbness that has overtaken my body.

  I continue to drift in and out of consciousness, each time I wake I feel the searing agony of my bones and skin knitting back together. Eventually I wake to no pain just a general soreness, I actually felt normal, like waking up from a nights rest. Only I had no idea how long I’d been out of action.

  “Don’t sit up just yet, I want to check you out first and make sure everything’s fine.” Gerry says as I start to get up.

  He checks my body and vitals then removes the bandages from my neck. I reach up and feel the scared tender tissue that still hasn’t healed fully. Gerry finishes his examinations by checking my reaction to light and nodding his approval he tells me I can sit up.

  I slowly sit up and do it easily enough, so I venture from the bed and into the shower. If Gerry was staying he’d be there when I was done. I look at myself in the mirror and am shocked to see that my vine abruptly ends above my breast, the top of it was stripped bare of leaves and ended at an odd angle. Hell it would take forever to grow back, when I was a child it only wrapped around my ankle. There was nothing I could do about it though so I wash away the remnants of blood and muck coating my skin.

  When I walk back into the room with a towel wrapped around me I find Bastian leaning against the door opposite me. “Are you doing okay?” He asks looking me up and down, trying his hardest not to sound concerned.

  “Anyone would think you actually cared.” I say sarcastically. Oh yes I was back on form. Although I should probably remember he was the one that saved my life. I flush at the memory of him moaning when I took his blood.

  He moves away from the door and opens it. “Obviously you’re much better today. We are having a meeting in five, if your feeling up to it we’ll be upstairs.” He left leaving me to get dressed.

  I dress in my skirt, a vest and the new boots I’d bought. I strap my sword belt around my waist and look around for my sword. I stop mid search and realise no one had recovered her, she was probably still in the caves where Warren had thrown her.

  I wasn’t entirely sure how the spell on her worked; I’d never said her name aloud so here goes. “Neria.” I say it loud and clear, a moment later she is in my hand.

  Adam was good. I really needed to find a way to thank him. I smile and put her in her scabbard.

  I take a deep breath, look in the mirror and head up to the meeting.

  When I walk through the door all eyes are on me, I was being assessed in a big way. For warriors they can’t have seen as much battle if they were this amazed I was still alive.

  Roan starts to say something to me but is cut off by Bastian, he flies across the room and at Roan with super human speed. He was mere inches from his face when he growls something to him so low I that I can’t hear him.

  Jessica is the nearest to me so I lean over and ask. “What have I missed? What’s he saying?”

  Jessica never takes her eyes off Bastian and Roan. “Pack business, I’d tell you but I’d have to kill you.” I would have preferred to know what was happening seen as I’m living here, but what could I do I’m just an outsider. Bastian looks at us when he hears Jessica speak, and releases Roan. Roan sits down and the situation seems to disappear.

  “We saved debriefing for when you were okay.” Bastian says to me, then he motions for us all to sit. “Now we know that Scarlet is okay, she can tell us what that wretched Demon said.” It wasn’t a question more like a command.

  “It was a trap, all staged so that I’d come back and bring you all along with me. What I can’t understand though is why he wants me so desperately. I don’t suppose you grabbed the book on the way out?” I ask Bastian. From the look I got I figured not.

  Bryn and Bronwyn weren’t here so I wondered if they’d found Brook. “Did we find Brook is she okay?”

  Roan answers me although he doesn’t meet my eyes. “We never found her. We got about a hundred yards down the tunnel and were ambushed.”

  “Where are Bryn and Bronwyn then?”

  “They are back at Rick’s, there was a little tension when they thought you weren’t going to make it, but they refused to leave until they knew you were okay.” Quinn answers me.

  “What do you mean tension?” I can vaguely remember Bryn almost challenging Bastian.

  Bastian stands. “Bryn was a little upset that I wouldn’t let him help you. He started a fight with Steve when I ordered everyone to give us some privacy, then when we wouldn’t let them in The Manor to see you straight away he kicked off.”

  “They are currently under house arrest.” Quinn finished for him.

  “What should we do now? We need that book and we need our people back before it’s too late.” Steve asks moving to sit cross legged on the sofa.

  “Well without the book we need to look into different avenues of reversing the curse, what we need is a witch. Maybe if we find one and explain what we do know about the curse they could figure the key components and maybe work a counter curse for us.” I said to them all hoping I could be right. That is how spells and curses work, the only problem with that theory is if you got one ingredient wrong you could end up doing the exact opposite off what you originally planned. “Do any of you know any witches?”

  “Well we don’t know any practising witches but we know someone who might. She’s called Alexi she is a Stray, she used to be a witch herself but now she looks after the Strays until they are capable of living amongst The Pack.” Bastian answers. “We need to figure out how were going to get back into those caves as well, but in the meantime I’ve got some business I need to attend. Cain will get you the address for Alexi’s house.” With that he walks out.

  “He’s a bit moody today isn’t he?” I say to no one in particular. Gone was the raw emotion I’d seen when I was dying, now he was back to being ice cold.

  “He’s got a lot on his mind.” Cain says before leaving to get the address.

  Chapter Twenty

  An hour later I was heading into the city with Bryn. Bastian would definitely not be happy about that prospect, but I couldn’t really care less.
I’d found Bryn in the apartment they were using above Rick’s, he wanted us to stop wasting time and find his sister so I asked him to tag along with me, I relayed my plan to find a counter curse and then free The Fallen, saving his sister in the process.

  “You know there’s something different about you, I just can’t quite put my finger on it.” He says to me turning in his seat to study me. “Maybe it’s the Lycan blood you now have inside you.”

  “Maybe, it does feel strange that I’m not still holed up in bed after nearly dying. I actually feel like I could take on the world.”

  “What is the Lycan King’s problem anyway? He barley tolerates me and he should understand being royalty himself.” What he left unsaid was why would he not let me give you my blood.

  “I don’t think it’s just you he dislikes, he doesn’t seem to tolerate me much either, I thinks it’s a Fae thing.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that he doesn’t tolerate you in a completely different way to me and Bron.”

  We pull up to a rather large building on the south side of town, for the area it was in it was considerably clean. Bryn grabs my hand as I get out of the truck that I’d been loaned for my stay at The Manor.

  He brings it to his mouth and kisses it looking into my eyes, when he turns on the charm he was really good at it. Thankfully he didn’t have the same kind of charm that Adam does.

  “I would like you to come back to Faerie with me when this is all over, visit with me at the palace, take in the sights, see where this could lead.”

  He smiles at me, his eyes turning to black pools. He was feeling something but all I was getting was...well nothing.

  I look him in the eye. “We are two very different people from two different worlds and I just can’t imagine us being together in the way that you mean. Maybe we should just stick to a drink as friends.”

  Regret shines in his eyes for a moment then they are back to their deep dark blue depths. “It would’ve been fun trying to persuade you but maybe you’re right. A drink it is, but I need to know one last thing.”

  He dips his head and brushes my lips with his, slowly caressing them with his own. It was only a small kiss but it was gentle and nice. Just Nice.

  He pulls away and looks at me saying. “Nope never would have worked your eyes are still green.” Something in his voice tells me he wasn’t as bothered as he should have been if he really had liked me that much.

  I smile at him and we move over to stand on the steps of the building. A sign at the side of the door proclaimed it to be Alexi’s, a smaller sign below declared enter at your own risk. We enter unsure just what the risk is.

  Once inside we were greeted in what looked to be a reception area by a young woman, who looked to have been a bit of a rebel. Her hair was brown but had many different colours hanging from her pony tail like she was growing out dye she no longer cared for, her nose and ears where pierced and her brown eyes had the look of someone who had seen the darker side of life and survived.

  “Hi. How may I help you?” She greets us her voice all bouncy and light contradicting her looks.

  I walk over to her followed by Bryn. “We were sent here by the Beast Master, he said Alexi would talk to us in relation to a case I’m working on.” I produce my ID badge for her scrutiny.

  “Just one moment please if you’d like to wait over there I’ll see if Miss Alexi is free.” She points to a set of chairs off to the left of the reception.

  We head over and sit down. We aren’t there long before she comes over to us. “Miss Alexi will see you now, if you’d like to follow me.”

  The reformed rebel shows us through some double doors and into what looks to be any normal persons home. We were instantly in a room with sofas and an entertainment system. A few people lounge about and look up for a brief glimpse of who was disturbing them. We exit through another door into a small hallway that has a kitchen and dining room, through a door on the left and on the right a set of stairs and another door which was shut.

  The rebel leads us to the shut door, knocks and then enters. A woman that looks to be about forty with short auburn curly hair sits at the desk. She gets up and speaks to the rebel. “Thank you Andie that will be all.” Andie certainly wasn’t a name I would have associated with the rebel.

  Alexi motions for us to sit in the little seating area, Bryn at my side and Alexi sat opposite.

  “I’ve got to say when Cain called me and told me you were coming, I wasn’t expecting this.” She sits back on the sofa seeming at ease with us instantly.

  “What do you mean?” Bryn Queries.

  Looking at me as she says. “Oh, just that The Pack would seek out my help regarding something other than Stray’s.” She was eyeing me curiously and I knew she was lying.

  I explained to her about the fallen and what I’d observed and heard, I also told her about the book that contained the spell.

  “You wish to know of some good witches then that can help you work the spell back?”

  “Yes, although I know that it is a bit of a long shot. My basic understanding of this is that you need to break down the ingredients used in the original spell then re-work those ingredients to create the exact opposite of what was in the original spell.”

  “I’m impressed, you have quite a bit of knowledge although I sense you have no magic in you am I correct.”

  “Yes.” I reply wondering where she was going with that leading statement.

  “Then you would also know even the most skilled Witch would find it difficult reworking a spell when she doesn’t have either the spell or list of ingredients to work from. If one ingredient was wrong it could make matters worse for the immortals that are now called Fallen.” She sat thinking for a moment. “However we must try, I will give you the number of the coven I used to work with until I was bitten. They are called The Circle of Isis. Tell them I sent you and they will help you. I suggest you don’t rely too much on their help though I doubt that anyone would be able to do what you ask.”

  Bryn and I both get up as Alexi moves to the desk to scribble down an address and number. “Thanks for the info.” Bryn said bowing slightly and opening the door.

  I was about to follow when Alexi shouts me back “May I speak with you alone a moment?” She asks. I nod to Bryn who tells me he would meet me in the truck.

  I stand in front of her waiting for her to say something. She just stands there studying me again. “Sorry. I wanted to make sure I was right before I congratulated you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was a little confused at first. I would have thought the Beast Master would have announced his mating. But you never do know with that one.” Her words left me confused.

  “The Beast Master’s mated?”

  “Yes dear, to you. I would have thought you’d have realised what you were doing performing The Bonding Ritual with a man like that. I’m sure he would have made the night extremely memorable. Although I wasn’t aware he was dating, but then I’m not actually a member of The Pack.”

  It dawned on me then what she was actually saying to me. I was Bastian’s mate and he had somehow bonded with me when he gave me his blood.

  Could we really be mated? We hadn’t even had sex. I was pretty sure there was sex involved.

  I’d kill him. Slowly. Very Slowly.

  I fumed silently.

  “Oh yes that, I was a little confused as to what you were saying.” She eyes me, probably hearing the sarcastic tone. “If that’s all I best be off we’re still in the honey moon period, you know how it is.”

  “Indeed I do, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She says to my retreating back.

  As I head out of the building I let out a big breath, I was shaking to the core with my anger. How could he do this to me? It should have been simple a little bit of blood to help me recuperate and not die, just a transfusion. I think I would have preferred death.

  I got in the truck. “What did she say to you? You’ve gone all white. I can g
o back in if you want?”

  “No I’m fine. I must still be feeling a little weak from my near death experience.” I lie, If I tell Bryn I’m pretty sure he’d try and kill Bastian. I want that job for myself.

  “When we get back, you must have rest.”

  No, when we get back I’m going to murder the Lycan King.

  We leave the truck in the courtyard. When Bryn is sure that I’m okay he heads back to Rick’s, while I head into the hotel. Do I go straight for the jugular for a nice quick death or perhaps a stomach wound for a slow painful death?

  I head straight for the lounge area. I open the door and see Bastian talking to Cain, Quinn and Steve. They all look up when I enter. I walk and stand in front of them all, they would have sensed something was wrong, the Lycan’s can almost smell emotions and my eyes are probably solid black by now.

  I look at Bastian and say. “How could you?”

  Without breaking eye contact he dismisses the others. “What do you want me to say?” His face was blank, devoid of all emotion.

  What do you want me to say? The insufferable man was really getting on my last nerve. “You’ve stolen my life. I’m only twenty four, I might have one day fallen in love...”

  I didn’t even get a chance to finish the sentence before he has me pressed against the wall his hard body crushing me, his hands pinning me at the shoulders. I had never seen anyone this angry before. I should be the one that’s angry.

  He practically growls at me when he speaks. “I was trying to save your life you ungrateful wench.” It felt like he was going to actually push me through the wall, his face was merely inches from mine. He takes a long sniff at my neck then his eyes practically spit fire at me before he loses all control and I see the fury in his eyes. “You’ve been with the Fae.”

  It wasn’t even a question.

  `”Yes he accompanied me to Alexi’s.”

  “Then why is his scent lingering on your skin?” His eyes spit fire as I try to wrestle myself free from his grasp.