“How do you know that Crichton killed, or attempted to kill Rutherford?”
“I saw him take up a hunter’s blade and stab Rutherford. Rutherford vanished. Crichton had to fight another hunter then, so he was distracted. When Rutherford didn’t return to the fight, we thought he must have died. We didn’t hear from him forever, but yesterday, we began hearing his voice. Faint, like he was nearly dead.”
Great. Now they needed to look for Rutherford too. They often weren’t injured so severely that they couldn’t heal themselves. Crichton must have injured him badly.
“I guess that means I can’t let you go so you’d become a good citizen of wherever you’re from,” she said to the rogue vampire.
“Yeah, sure, I’ll leave.”
“You can’t if Rutherford’s controlling you. Unless, you could kill Crichton. You should be loyal to Rutherford and eliminate the vampire who tried to murder him.” Though Pasha really didn’t trust the vampire to go after Crichton.
“Rutherford hasn’t given me the order to kill Crichton.”
“Just us hunters. Fine. Have it your way.” Or…Rutherford’s way.
Pasha stabbed the vampire in the heart and pulled out her sword, watching him fall to the floor, sorry that the vampire who controlled him still lived and that the dead vampire hadn’t been able to choose another way of life.
Zachary hurried toward Pasha and took hold of her arm. “What did he say?”
She glanced around the room and realized the hunters, and law-abiding vampires, were still standing and everyone had been watching her. Rutherford’s minions and a couple of ancients were all dead.
“An ancient who knew Crichton in the old days named Rutherford is the one who led the massacre against our families. He’s the one who turned all these humans into vampires. Crichton tried to murder him, but Rutherford survived. He must be weak and in hiding. I imagine if he could, he’d order his minions to kill Crichton, who thinks Rutherford is dead. But this newly turned vampire”—Pasha motioned to the dead one on the floor—“says he’ll only kill hunters since that’s the last order Rutherford gave them.”
“Too bad one of us couldn’t influence Rutherford’s minions,” Ephraim said, “but unfortunately, it won’t work on vampires who were turned by another.”
“If we could kill Rutherford, then maybe one of us could do that,” Daemon said. “I suspect that’s why the newly turned vampires are not informing Crichton that we’re here. They owe allegiance to Rutherford.”
“I agree. If the rest of you are ready, it’s time to get some sleep…in shifts,” Adonis said. “We can divide up houses. We’re staying at the ones across from the families’ homes on the beach.”
“All right,” Pasha said. “Zachary and I are taking the house across from our parents’ place.”
Robert’s brothers said they’d watch Adonis and Rachael’s backs.
Crystal’s brothers went with Zachary and Pasha.
Everyone else divided up from there, but they all moved the bodies to the shed out back first.
“We’ll have to get the police on this in the morning to pick up the bodies,” Adonis said. “Until then, those who are monitoring the houses, give us a heads-up if you see any activity at any of the homes. Any. One person entering a home is enough to alert the rest of us.”
Everyone agreed.
Pasha was surprised that some of the vampires, like the prince, and the Scottish lord, wouldn’t have any trouble taking orders.
Then they all split forces and Zachary and Pasha went with Crystal’s brothers to the house.
“Why don’t you both get some sleep first,” Victor said.
“Yeah, we’ve got first watch,” his brother said.
Pasha felt a little uneasy, thinking she didn’t want to sleep in the same room as Zachary, but tactically, she knew it was a good idea to stay together if any vampires came into the house to fight them.
She motioned to the master bedroom. “Come on, Zachary. Let’s take the big bed.”
“Are you sure?” Zachary asked.
“Yeah. For safety sake.”
In the bedroom, she began stripping out of her clothes, unfastening her boots first. Then removing her socks.
Zachary watched her as if she was doing a striptease for him. She cocked her head and frowned at him, telling him nonverbally they were supposed to be getting ready for bed and that was all.
She swore his ears turned a little red.
He began pulling off his shirt and she glanced at his abs, greatly defined from all that sword play. The same with his biceps. He sat down to remove his boots and socks.
“You know, the only way to make any of this right is to take out the two head honcho vampires.” She unfastened her black cargo pants and pulled them off.
“Yeah, I agree.” He pulled his cargo pants off and she thought his muscular legs were drool-worthy too.
She climbed under the covers wearing her bra and panties. He joined her in bed wearing his boxer briefs.
“I guess we should have brought a bag with us with a change of clothes,” he said.
“I’m sure we can swap off with others tomorrow and pack some things to stay here, if we stay here longer.” She laid on her back and looked up at the ceiling.
He turned on his side and looked at her. “I want you to know I don’t feel any differently about you. I still can’t stop thinking about you when we’re apart.”
“Or when we’re fighting? You need to concentrate on your own battles.” She turned her head to look at him. “You’re doing a great job, you know. You tend to put yourself at risk when I don’t think you should, but maybe that’s the vampire in you taking charge.”
“It’s the hunter, though I’m sure the vampire part of me has something to do with it too. I just…well, see things differently. A way to deal with the battles as a vampire that I couldn’t do before. I have to admit I like the vanishing and appearing business.”
“And the flying? Not that I’d want to be a vampire for anything, I do think that would be one of my favorite things to do. What about blood? Don’t you have a craving for it?”
“No. Adonis said with the transfusion I had, I won’t be needing any more for quite a while. I don’t feel a craving for blood. I hear it pumping through your veins, smell it, but it doesn’t make me want to bite you to get at the source.”
“Good thing. Your brother was worried I might eliminate you, per your request.”
Zachary sighed.
“I wouldn’t do it, you know.” She shrugged. “You’re a valuable asset.” She closed her eyes. “We need to get some sleep, in case we have to fight again later.”
She knew she should keep her distance from him, but she wondered what it would be like with a hunter turned vampire and she moved over to him and snuggled against him. “This doesn’t mean anything.”
He pulled her close and smiled. “That’s all right by me.”
“It doesn’t mean anything,” she insisted, but she needed this.
“I can deal with it.”
She smiled at him and kissed his chest, then rested her head against it.