Vampish: The Hunt: (An Enemies-to-Lovers Paranormal Romance)

by G. K. DeRosa

  Once I was away from her inebriating presence, I could think more clearly once again. I couldn’t turn her in to Ronin. I’d been fooling myself to ever think I could. And I certainly couldn’t be with her. Being near her and not with her would be pure torture. So what should I do with this little sicari?

  Chapter

  Twenty-Two

  Phoenix

  * * *

  I stared longingly at bardy, curling my fingers into my palm to keep from stroking the worn wooden staff. I’d been holed up in this safehouse with Ransom for way too long, and I was about to get stabby if I didn’t get some fresh air. His weird musky vampire scent lingered in the air, the perfume much more acute now that my lupine senses had been awakened.

  Speaking of my wolf, after her appearance the night before last, she’d remained in hiding. I’d tried coaxing her out all day yesterday, but nothing. She was a fickle little thing. That was another reason I needed to get out of the Darklands. If I could make it back to Royal territory, I could go for a run. I longed to stretch out my lupine limbs so bad it hurt.

  “Where are you off to, Red?” Ransom poked his head through the doorway.

  “Out.” I grabbed my jacket from the bed and shrugged it on.

  He pushed out his lower lip into an annoyingly cute pout. “You can’t leave me.”

  “I can if the queen summoned me.”

  “She did?”

  Well, not technically, but she did say to check in once a week. “Yup.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be seen near Royal castle. What if Ronin’s men are keeping an eye on you?”

  He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why would they? They have no reason to suspect me for Jekyll’s death.”

  “Except we were the last people seen with him.”

  “Seen by a dead girl.” His lips twisted into a satisfied smirk.

  Mixie’s body crumpling to the floor flashed across my vision, and I winced. I still couldn’t believe how callous he’d been. He took her life like it was nothing. It was stupid of me to think more of him. He was a cold, heartless killer just like all fangers.

  “Oh, come on, Red. You’re not still mad about that, are you?” Ransom crept inside my room, and I took a step back.

  Ever since waking up yesterday morning, I’d had the weirdest sensation around him. Like there was something I was supposed to tell him or remember or do… I’d been trying to figure it out all day, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. “Yes,” I snapped. “I’ll always be upset about you taking a human life for no reason.”

  “I do feel a little badly about it. Does that make a difference?”

  “No.” I barreled by him, grabbing bardy from the wall on my way out.

  “I’m going with you.” The insufferable vampire trailed me to the door.

  “No, you’re not.” I spun back around, and his lips were inches from my mouth. I sucked in a breath and stepped back, hitting the door.

  Ransom smirked, revealing that damned dimple. “I love watching you squirm, Red.” He leaned closer, slamming his hands on either side of my head, caging me in.

  I smacked my palms to his chest and shoved him back. “Fine, if you have to come, let’s just go already and give me some freakin’ space. I’m already shackled to you twenty-four hours a day, I don’t need you further up my ass.”

  “Ooh, shackles and ass. I like where you’re going with this.”

  I shot him a withering glare and whipped the door open. Once in the hallway of the vacant building, I pulled my phone out and sent a text to the queen’s warlock to provide our transportation back to the castle. There was no way I’d try and possibly fail to shift in front of the vampire bastard.

  By the time we reached the alleyway between the rundown buildings, our portal awaited. I stepped forward but Ransom’s fingers closed around my upper arm and hauled me back. “What?” I hissed.

  “Does the queen know about your wolf’s kiss of death?”

  I shook my head. I’d been waiting for him to ask more about it since the other night, but my vampire roommate had been surprisingly quiet. He’d spent the entire day with EarPods on, brooding on the couch. “No one does,” I finally admitted.

  “Good, you should keep it that way.”

  I’d been debating informing the queen but had come to the same conclusion. Mostly because I couldn’t control my wolf yet. Once I could, I planned on telling her. It could be just what I needed to become her star sicari assassin. “Why?” I asked. “Don’t you trust Carmen Rosa?”

  “I don’t trust anyone, Red, and neither should you. Despite our queen’s best intentions, an ability like yours is too powerful to pass up. Everyone will want to use you for their own selfish motives.”

  My mind swirled back to all those years ago when I’d first admitted the truth to Deacon. The tiger alpha had said the same thing, although it hadn’t mattered so much back then because my wolf had been in hiding. Now that she was out—kind of—I had to decide what to do.

  “What about you?” I finally asked, risking a direct look into the profound obsidian.

  “I wouldn’t trust me either.” With a quick wink and a roguish smile, he leapt into the portal.

  When the guards ushered us into the queen’s throne room, my gaze landed on the eleven members of the inner circle filling the seats of the immense table. As I strode forward, the heat of intense glares bored into the side of my face. A heavy undercurrent of power filled the room, thickening the air.

  I hazarded a glance up as I neared the table and noted most of the glares were leveled in the direction of the vampire walking beside me. Ransom sauntered in, not a care in the world on his perfectly composed features.

  “Hello, ladies and gentlemen,” he said, dipping into a mock bow. “So nice to see you all again.”

  “I wish I could say the feeling was mutual.” Lucíano, the vamp from the other day let out a grunt.

  “How did you escape the Isle of Mordis anyway?” A female asked, her short blue hair gelled into spiky points.

  “That’s my little secret, Nessa.” He pressed his finger to his lips. “How do I know you’re not Ronin’s spy? You could be sent to the island next week for all I know, and then I would’ve given you a way out.”

  She snorted. “Please. I’ve been loyal to the queen my entire existence. Can we say the same for you?”

  He shrugged and circled the table, running his hand along the backs of the chairs. A chill skirted up my spine as my gaze landed on the crest carved into the wood. Now every time I saw the mark, my mind whizzed to Ronin and that tattoo.

  “I’ve never done anything against my sire,” said Ransom, his voice drawing me back to the present. “Even after she bled me dry for weeks after I turned. It’s just that I have zero interest in politics. Is that a crime?” He eyed the empty seat beside Carmen Rosa—Ronin’s former spot.

  Was that place meant for Ransom?

  The door behind the table creaked open, and the queen emerged. All eleven members of her council stood, dipping their heads.

  Carmen Rosa fixed her dark gaze on us, and the hint of a smile curled her lips. “Ah, good, you’ve arrived. When Nestor told me you’d requested a portal, I was anxious to hear of your progress.” She motioned to one of the guards, who pulled two chairs from the back wall and placed them at the end of the long table. “Please, sit, Phoenix, and tell us of any developments.”

  My pulse ramped up. I’d been hoping for a private meeting with the queen to update her, not a formal presentation in front of the entire inner circle. I dropped into the seat and folded my hands on the table, steadying my nerves.

  “Phoenix has been doing an excellent job,” Ransom interjected as he plopped down beside me. “She took us to one of Ronin’s favorite clubs and singlehandedly took down Jekyll, one of his top men.”

  The queen’s brows rose as she regarded me. I sat there twiddling my thumbs lik
e a moron. Come on, Nix, speak! “Yup.” I wanted to smack myself when the word popped out, and all the vampires glared at me.

  “Why was Jekyll killed?” A male with deep ebony skin asked. “I thought the point was infiltration.”

  I opened my mouth to answer, but Ransom cut me off.

  “He got too fang-happy with my little sicari guard. He needed to be taught a lesson.” Ransom shrugged, running his tongue across his incisors. “Regardless, more will come. He wasn’t the only member of the Children of the Night that saw us in the bar. Ronin respects power. He’s already approached me once to join them, and now that his right-hand man is missing, it won’t be long until he’ll be looking to replace him.” He eyed the empty seat to Carmen Rosa’s right, and the corners of his lips twisted.

  “And why would they want you?” asked Lucíano, that Spanish lilt magnifying his old worldliness.

  “Oh, don’t be so thick, brother.” Ransom shot the ancient immortal a grin. “I am a vampire prince, am I not? A direct descendant of our illustrious queen and the only vampire to have escaped the Isle of Mordis. Word travels, Lucíano. I’m the new hot vamp everyone’s talking about.”

  The male rolled his eyes, muttering beneath his breath.

  “Phoenix,” the queen turned her curious gaze on me. “What do you think?”

  I swallowed hard and forced the words to tumble out. “Jekyll definitely seemed interested in him.” And me. “We’ll go out again tonight and see if we can’t stumble into them.”

  “Or maybe we’ll wait another day,” Ransom interjected. “There’s nothing like playing hard to get to get the juices pumping.” His eyes raked over me, and a chill raced up my spine.

  I was cold, that was all. It was drafty in this big, old castle.

  “Fine,” said the queen, “but the sooner the better. Ronin’s Children are growing in numbers by the day and our supplies of Blud continue to dwindle. If we don’t find a way to increase our stock, his followers will only multiply.”

  “Why can’t you just make more?” The question flew out before I could stop it. Sure, now I’d found my tongue.

  Muttered whispers filled the table. The queen paused, a vein in her forehead pulsing as she considered. “Not many outsiders know, but I suppose you’re one of us now, Phoenix. Blud is manufactured with a small but significant percentage of human blood.”

  My jaw dropped. I wrangled it back into place before it became too awkward.

  “Our past resources are going dry, and we’re having a hard time replenishing. We’ve asked several leaders of the human world to help in our predicament, but no one is willing to request their citizens to supply blood for Nocturnis.”

  Well, damn, I didn’t blame them. Who’d want to open up a vein to feed some starving vamps in a faraway land?

  “What about supernatural blood?” I offered.

  Lucíano spoke up. “It doesn’t offer the same nutrients found in the human variety. Not to mention the fact that in blind taste tests, most vampires find it disagreeable at best.”

  “Quite the predicament,” said Ransom, rubbing his chin. “I’m glad we have the finest minds in Azar working on it.” He rose. “If that’s all? I’d like to find a tasty bloodwhore before tonight’s activities.”

  “Animal,” Lucíano grumbled.

  “Ransom,” the queen called out before he’d gotten far, “don’t forget why you’re on this mission. I beg you to take it seriously.”

  “Yes, yes, of course, my queen.” He folded into an elaborate bow. “Don’t worry, I’ve got Ronin right where I want him.”

  Barely suppressing an eyeroll, I rose to follow him out.

  “Wait, one moment, Phoenix.” The queen stood, the legs of her grand throne scraping against the crimson marble.

  From the corner of my eye, I caught Ransom pausing in his triumphant exit. Carmen Rosa reached for my arm and drew me closer, whispering, “You must keep your wits about you with that one, Phoenix. Ransom is young, attractive, and charming as I’m sure you’ve already gleaned. He’s also incredibly unstable. The first few years of an immortal’s rebirth are trying times for the best of us. His situation made it exceptionally difficult. Keep an eye on him, especially once he’s infiltrated the Children of the Night. Ronin offers an attractive lifestyle for vampires, particularly for someone as young and impulsive as Ransom.”

  I nodded quickly, ignoring the tightness in my throat.

  “The citizens of Nocturnis are on the brink of a war, and it is essential that our side wins. It would be a disaster for Azar and the human world beyond otherwise.”

  Great. No pressure.

  “Come on, Red. We don’t have all day,” Ransom called out from the doorway.

  “I’ll report again once he’s in.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Chapter

  Twenty-Three

  Phoenix

  * * *

  I resisted the urge to race out of the chamber, instead taking measured breaths to keep my pace steady as I caught up with Ransom. He didn’t say anything as I fell into step beside him, and we traversed the winding passageways of the medieval castle.

  Had he heard Carmen Rosa’s warning? Would he even care? I was fairly certain Ransom spent every waking moment plotting a way to escape. He didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’d kowtow to some vampire rebel. No, he was definitely planning something.

  The moment we left the suffocating castle walls behind, I drew in a deep breath of night air. The full moon hung overhead, its pale beams caressing my skin. My wolf surged to the surface, her beastly presence nudging at my insides.

  Ransom spun at me, brows furrowed as if he’d felt her too. Which was impossible. His hearing wasn’t that good. “You want to run.”

  It wasn’t a question. It was like he’d felt the familiar call himself. For a brief moment, I wondered if he missed shifting, missed his wolf. Until two days ago, I hadn’t realized how much her absence had weighed on me. I finally nodded.

  “Go ahead, I can run alongside you.”

  I snorted on a laugh. “You couldn’t keep up.” More importantly, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I could actually shift on command and did not need him knowing that.

  He let out a deep belly chuckle, the warm sound doing things to my insides that I refused to acknowledge. “Now that’s funny, Red.”

  We passed by the first building, which still stood but barely, and the easy banter fell away. Its emaciated remains reached high into the night sky, a grisly reminder of Ronin’s attack and all the lives lost. The heaviness of my heart weighed down my steps, and I slowed.

  Ransom’s gaze lifted to the scorched ruins, and the easy grin faded. “You’ll catch Ronin, one way or the other. I know you will.”

  I kept my eyes to the floor not wanting him to see the glossy sheen. Until I took a second to process his words. My gaze shot to his. “One way or the other?” Was he backing out on our deal? “Don’t even think about making a run for it, Ransom.” I jabbed my finger into his hard chest. “I’ll hunt you down to the ends of the realm and drag your lying vampire ass back here.”

  A smirk tugged at his lips as his hand closed around my finger. “I don’t doubt that, Red. I’m just saying however this plays out, I know you’ll get your man.”

  My brows knitted as I regarded the mercurial immortal. For a long beat, I just stood there, his hand wrapped around my finger still pressed to his chest. His eyes chased to mine and like always, I was trapped in the inky abyss. A flicker of a memory raced across my mind, but it was too faint to grasp. There was something I was supposed to know, to remember…

  His heart thudded out a rapid beat, slamming against my fingertip and I jerked my hand back.

  “Well, don’t you two look cozy?” Vera’s voice spun me on my heel. She stood at the door of building two, holding it open for the rest of my team. Spark appeared next, his amber eyes latching on mine.

  Ransom inched closer, and I could feel his warmth seeping into my back. Wh
ich was weird for a fanger. They never ran hot like shifters.

  Vera raced over and wrapped me in a quick hug, as if she’d forgotten I was on duty and then remembered. Her lively eyes tracked over Ransom. “So how’s it going?”

  Ransom snaked his arm around my shoulders and tugged me into his side. “Red here makes an excellent bloodwhore. She was the talk of the bar last night.”

  “Don’t touch her,” Spark snarled. A deep growl vibrated his chest as I pushed free of Ransom’s hold.

  “I’m sure they don’t need to hear the dirty details,” I hissed.

  “Oh, we would love to,” said Seline, grinning. “Our missions have been pretty boring since you left.”

  I reached for Spark but thought better of it at the last minute and let my hand linger in the space between us. “Maybe it’s your team leader.” I tossed him a wink, hoping to diffuse the rising tension.

  A scowl carved into his features, deeper than the one already beginning to emerge. “Nah, everyone’s waiting for your spy to make his move.” His lip curled into a snarl as he eyed Ransom. Cal and Archer moved to flank him, and I found the show of male bravado weirdly endearing. Man, I missed my team.

  “So much pressure.” A lazy smile tipped up the corners of the vampire’s lips. “You’ll be happy to know I plan on making my move tonight.”

  “And what move is that?” Vera waggled her brows as her eyes bounced back and forth between us.

  I glared daggers at the meddlesome little witch. Was she trying to provoke a fight in the middle of the queen’s compound? “Ronin seems pretty interested in Ransom,” I bit out. “He’s been playing hard to get, but it seems to only make the rebel vampire leader want him more.”

  “Funny how that works, isn’t it?” Ransom nudged me in the ribs, and I growled.

  Seline’s nostrils flared, and her eyes locked on mine at the sound, confusion written across her expression. Shift, could she sense my wolf? I wasn’t sure I was ready for all the questions that would come along with me explaining her sudden emergence.