He wondered if her parents would return to the house, once this was all over with. And if so, where he and Pasha might live, because he was going to mate her if she agreed.
He saw movement then across the street at the home. Which surprised him because vampires wouldn’t be out running around at this hour. Other hunters?
The humans Crichton had turned had taken refuge there.
Zachary telepathically communicated with Adonis. “We have movement at your parents’ home. Did any of the hunters say they were going over there?”
“No, we’ll meet you over there. Wake the others.”
As much as Zachary hated waking anyone who needed their sleep, it could be essential to protecting the vampires who hoped to lead semi-normal lives after Crichton had turned them against their will.
Zachary wanted Pasha to stay at the house, but as soon as he said there was trouble, she was going with him. Boniface and Victor were ready in a jiffy, Victor agreeing to stay at the house and watch it while the others went to the one across the street.
Zachary really wanted to just reappear there, but he wanted more to stay with Pasha this time, since he knew she’d run into the house ready for a fight and she wouldn’t like it if he started without her this time.
The three of them raced across the street, intent on taking care of the threat, if there was one. They headed inside the house and heard the vampires pleading with hunters. Zachary had told all the hunters about the vampires not being part of the problem. So he worried other hunters had come for the bounty on Crichton’s head or the other vampires involved in the hunter massacre.
He was surprised to see Adonis, Rachael, Ephraim, Elizabeth, Daemon, and Tezra there already. Adonis was arguing with none other than Gregory, the four hunters with him ready to back him up. Adonis was trying to reason with him. Rachael looked ready to kill Gregory if he moved an inch in her mate’s direction, her sword out and pointed at him in a threatening manner.
The newly turned vampires were behind them, still telling them they weren’t fighting the hunters. “We’re on your side,” the one man said.
“You would be a vampire lover since you’re one of them now,” Gregory said, sneering at Adonis.
“Give it up, Gregory,” Rachael said. “Adonis is my mate, so be a hunter and get over it.”
“You need to be with a real hunter,” Gregory spat out.
“Like you? Where were you when Adonis and I were fighting Piaras?” Rachael asked, sounding as outraged as Zachary felt.
Her life had not been her own until the vampire had been eliminated.
“I was fighting other ancients,” Gregory said, sounding just as furious.
“By the time you reached us, Piaras was dead, a reason for celebration, not more killing,” Rachael said.
“We’re hunters, born that way. We don’t have any choice.”
“You always have choices.” Zachary motioned to the newly turned vampires. “Their maker is dead. Now they have a choice, become like their maker, kill hunters, or live in peace among us.”
“I don’t know why you’d stick up for them. You and Michael were great hunters before this,” Gregory said, glowering at him. “Michael’s hung up on a sister of this abomination who calls himself a hunter still.” Gregory motioned with his head to Adonis.
So he and the others didn’t know Zachary and Danai had also been turned.
“Either you accept what has happened to Adonis as I have, as his family has, or you fight us now and be done with it,” Rachael said.
Zachary was surprised she hadn’t mentioned that more of them were hunters turned, but he was proud of Rachael for speaking up against the hunter, many of whom would still feel the same as Gregory did toward Adonis and the others.
Even if Gregory and the others said they accepted what they had become, Zachary had a hard time trusting Gregory now. If Gregory had just been hotheaded about it when he first knew Adonis was a vampire and as far as he felt, had stolen Rachael away from him, that was one thing. But to continue to harbor the deep-seated hate and want to act on it, that was another. They needed to work together if they were going to get rid of the bad vampire blood in the area, not battle it out with each other.
“Join us in the fight against Rutherford and the other vampires,” Adonis said. “If any of us kill him and the others and you have signed up to take the bounty, it’s yours. We don’t care as long as the area is cleansed of those who murdered our family.”
“What about them?” Gregory pointed an accusing finger at the newly turned vampires.
“Like I said, they’re here so we can protect them. Some hunters think all vampires are bad.” Zachary figured Gregory still thought they were too. At least when Gregory had to obey the hunter’s leadership, he minded, but now he was little more than a rogue. Especially if he killed Adonis.
“Attempt to kill Adonis and you’re dead,” Daemon said. “Between hunters and vampires alike, a contract will be out on you and the ones who follow you. You know you’ll be considered a rogue hunter and they’re put on a list for termination. No one wants a vampire-hunter war.”
Gregory’s disgruntled expression didn’t change. “All right. Then what are we up against and who’s in charge of the mission?”
Adonis smiled, albeit wickedly. “I am.” Then his smile vanished, and his expression turned hard again. “We’re here to kill Rutherford and any vampire who is in cahoots with him, ancients, his minions that fight us. All of them. The city sanctions the work. Like I said, you and your friends can get the money for the job. We don’t care. We just want—”
“Revenge?” Gregory said.
It wasn’t a hunter’s way and he was still trying to pull Adonis’s chain.
“To right a wrong. Either you’re with us or you’re—”
“Against us,” Rachael said.
Gregory glanced at his friends. They all nodded. Zachary wasn’t sure they wanted to be on a terminal list should they try and take out Adonis. That was all on Gregory.
Just this once, he was getting a second chance. Beyond that, everyone was in agreement. If he tried to kill Adonis, Gregory was a dead man.
“Don’t make me regret my decision,” Adonis said.
“We have to take jobs where we can now,” Gregory said. “Maybe you can put in a good word for us and we can return to Dallas.”
Now that was the first smart thing Gregory had said. His friends looked relieved that he said so. Suddenly, from battle ready, to making plans to take out the really bad guys, everyone relaxed a little.
“You and your men can stay in one of the hunters’ homes sitting on the beachfront. We’ve cleared them out and have hunters watching the houses from across the street,” Adonis said.
“But the vampires have already been in your homes and can enter without going through the front door,” Gregory said.
“Right, and you’re a hunter. Eliminate them if they appear in the homes. You can even stay here in my parents’ home, but you’ll have to share it with these vampires. They were here first,” Adonis said. “The house next door is mine, if you want to stay there.”
Zachary wanted to laugh, but he kept his amusement to himself.