I watched how the vampires instinctually felt Kates’ approach. They all looked up with eager eyes, but not him. He turned and looked straight at me. I met his gaze without a flinch, even though I felt my insides snap. I had to hold it in, he couldn’t know. Then I glanced to his collarbone where a corner of his shirt had fallen to the side and saw the beginning of his mark.
I didn’t need to see all of it because I’d seen it before. It was the mark that all Hunters were branded with once they’d gotten their first kill. It was a symbol of interlocking crosses with the Hebrew inscription for remembrance in the middle. Craig told me once that the symbol stood for their humanity. They were branded to remember what it was like to be human, so they could keep a reverence for the humans that they’d sworn to protect. The Hunters were an elite league and a vampire had to be invited by the Elders. Only a handful roamed and guarded each state.
As I watched Emily’s smile slip at Kates’ arrival, I knew that they were both safe. Hunters guarded against the Craigs of the vampire world. They hunted their own, the ones that refused to accept the new decree not to harm humans. Two Hunters had arrived and ripped Craig to shreds with no jury or bargain when I’d lit him on fire. They were judges in themselves and those two Hunters had made their judgment on Craig.
Suddenly feeling nauseous, I pushed through the crowd to a side door and found myself in a back alley.
The door hadn’t closed behind me before I heard him. “You’re running away.”
He leaned against the door, relaxed and primed for attack. His fangs didn’t show, but I wondered if he’d had them ready for me. Something told me this vampire wouldn’t mind violating his decree with me.
“You’re using my friend.” I thought I caught a flash of amusement, but it disappeared just as quick.
He remarked, emotionless, “They’re using me.”
Kates was. Emily wasn’t.
‘You’re not good with your own shield.’ I heard him in my mind and gasped before I shoved him out. I was more irritated he’d gotten in without me realizing because I was better than that. He smiled and I bared my teeth. “You don’t get to read my mind.”
“Not anymore. You just blocked me,” he spoke, bored, and had the nerve to stretch in front of me.
“You’re an asshole.” He was getting harder to block, not from my mind but from feeling him. Though, it wasn’t like the last time. I didn’t feel the evil reach inside of me.
He laughed, but his eyes were so cold. “You’ve never spoken to me and this is our first exchange? Oh wait, you taunted me, right? ‘I know what you are.’ Isn’t that what you said or did I get it wrong? You think I’m some animal.”
I lashed out, “Been taking trips in my mind?”
“I haven’t needed to,” he shot back. His eyes sparked a bit. “You read loud and clear. I’m surprised you’ve gotten away with it for so long.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Lying. All you do is lie. I’ve known about you for a couple of days, but I could tell right away.”
“I don’t lie.” I reacted, tersely, and my hands formed tight fists.
He looked down at them, but he smirked. “Yes, you do. That’s all you do. You lie to that boy you’ve got dancing to your tune. You lie to your roommate. She doesn’t know who we are. You’re lying to yourself when you think you don’t want Kates here.”
I stiffened at his proclamations. He had no idea… “Get away from me and stay away from my friends.”
Something went flat in his eyes. The look had been there, but I hadn’t seen it till it was gone. It vanished completely now and I knew he was furious. “Your friends won’t stay away from me.”
“How do you know Kates?” I asked. He’d mentioned her by name, which meant something. I remembered the two vampire females in the bathroom. They’d either known me or they’d known Kates. I needed to know why…
I suddenly felt sick. I felt actual vomit surge up in my throat, but I clamped a hand over my mouth and whirled to a corner. It spewed out before I could stop it. He was quiet behind me. I expected some taunting, but there were none.
“What?” I asked weakly as I wiped at my mouth. “No words to insult me with? Maybe I’m just drunk.”
“You could be. You drank what? Four shots?”
So he’d been watching from the beginning…
“I highly doubt it.” Something was off in his tone, like he knew something that I didn’t. I wasn’t pleased with it. I felt that he wasn’t pleased either. That’s when I gasped further and wretched again.
I had been feeling him. Somehow, I’d slipped inside without the evil lashing at me. As I glanced at him through watery eyes, I saw that his mind was elsewhere. He didn’t know I felt inside of him. I took a small breath and stilled, concentrating to explore what else was in him. Duty. It blared at me. I was startled by that, but then I surged further and tentatively touched what was beneath it, pain. It was blistering. It reminded me of the girl on the roof. She’d felt the same pain, but unlike her surrender this vampire was firmly and completely devoted to… something. He defied death or maybe death retreated from him. I’d never felt what I felt from him.
“Stop that!” He hurled me out of him.
I gasped and fell against the bricked wall. My arm scraped against the roughness and I watched, frozen, as his coal eyes took on a keen alarmed look. The air was charged around him. I sucked in a breath and smelled what he did. My skin had torn from the wall and even I could smell the blood in the alley.