Page 59 of Bloodhunter

I followed Gray’s scent, acknowledging the trickles ofexcitement that began unfurling inside my belly. I was a mess, no doubt, buthunting and tracking was what I was meant to do. I just needed to get better atit.

Gray’s tracks wafted off into the woods, and after a momentof indecision, I crossed the road, jumped the ditch, and followed them on.

If I caught Gray, I could salvage something from the night.I refused to let myself think about Shane, or what he was going through, orwhere Amias had taken him. There’d be enough of that later.

I sheathed Silverlight because her light was becoming sobright I was spotlighted in it—the enemy would see me long before I saw him. Icouldn’t hide in that light.

I drew a stake from my belt and held it instead, and aflashlight, which I would click on when I needed to. Right then, the moon wasall I needed.

I thought I heard the rumble of a distant vehicle, roaringtoward Raeven’s Road, and the sound made me feel less alone. There were peoplein the world. Angus would come. I was not alone.

A stick cracked beneath my boot, and I halted, listeningintently as something rustled furtively behind me. I wanted to draw the sword,but I resisted her pull. It wasn’t safe in the light. Not there.

Wispy trails danced around my feet, Gray’s among them,trailing off as far as I could see. He’d been there, and recently. The trackswere vibrant and lively and really, if I wanted to admit it, they werebeautiful.

They likely used the woods to hunt for food. Animals wouldsustain them, even if they didn’t love the blood. When they fed from a human,it was more because they craved the taste and the different energy than theyhad no other choice.

Animals might not give them the strength and vitality diningfrom humans would, but it wasn’t like they’d suffer overly much if they drankonly animal blood. Good for the humans, not so good for the animals.

At least, that was what I’d heard. Who knew for sure but thevampires?

I followed Gray’s scent for ten more minutes before Ispotted him. Not him, maybe, butthem. A small group of vampires, sittingon logs and leaning against trees, sharing food. Human food. I couldn’t tell ifGray was among them.

There were two humans in the midst of the vampires. One hadcrumbled into a ball on the ground, and the other leaned weakly against theknees of a sitting vampire as he drank from her neck.

I lost my shit.

I released an unthinking scream of rage, and the next thingI knew, Silverlight was lighting up the night and I was charging the vampires,death in my heart.

The vampires scattered without making a sound—danger was aconstant companion and they’d grown used to her—but the humans were a differentmatter.

The one who’d been in the middle of a feeding climbeddrunkenly to her feet, a gun in her hand. “Stop,” she croaked, and pulled thetrigger.

Lucky for me she was too smashed to focus, and the shot wentwide. I heard a tree yelp when the bullet took off some bark, and then Iconcentrated on the vampires.

There were six of them, but I figured there were more in thearea—the trails had been many and varied—and I was right. More of them camerunning at the commotion, but strangely enough, they didn’t attack me. Theyturned tail and ran.

What the hell kind of vampires ran?

Ones that wanted to live.

I squeezed Silverlight and walked toward the humans. “Areyou okay?” I called.

The woman waved the gun at me, a little stronger. “Go away!”

I kept walking, but sheathed Silverlight. The vampires hadmesmerized her, and that wasn’t her fault. “I can help you,” I told her. “Putthe gun down.”

She rubbed her face with her free hand, then stumbledbackward and tripped over the log on which her attacker had sat, his fangs inher flesh. The gun flew from her grip.

“Shit,” she cried. “Shit.” Her voice was still thick, herwords slurred, but she seemed to be recovering quickly. She sat up and lungedfor the gun, but I reached it first.

I kicked it away. “Stop it,” I said. “Calm down. You’re allright.”

I knelt at the downed man’s side, but kept my stare on thewoman. I felt for a pulse, relieved when I found it. “He’s alive,” I told her.

“Come on.” She wiped angrily at her eyes and began to cry.“Come on.”

I stood, digging for my cell phone. “I’ll call for help.”