Dark War Chronicles Box Set One (88 page)

“I love you too,” was all she could bring herself to say. She knew that because of love she’d choose to stay here.

***

T
hey’d pulled to the side of the road halfway to the manor. The plan was Jax and Kassity would shift and Ayden would follow with his small arsenal of weapons. Jax would take care of the other panthers and Kassity would distract Karina long enough for Ayden to land a killing blow. That was if all went accordingly.

They trotted towards the manor, sticking to the shadows with Ayden right behind them. Kassity sniffed the air and caught the scent of at least ten different panthers, one of them being Sarah. She tried to push any sense of family out of her mind. This was just another mission. Kill the vampire and get home.

She spotted an open window on a balcony. A tree nearby would be a perfect launching point. Her tail flickered as she prepared to run. She dashed out across the courtyard with Ayden close behind her. No one came to greet them, no shouts of surprise, and no attack panthers. She counted herself lucky as she launched herself up from the ground and into the tree, landing on a branch. Jax sat at the bottom and she knew he’d follow her.

After letting her weight settle and listening for any predators she jumped to the balcony. Adrenaline pumped through her as her paws crossed the floor. Her human mind started to slip as she smelt blood. Animal blood. Her panther instinct started to take over. There was a meal nearby and she wanted it. Kass paused in her approach, trying to gain control over her panther. Jax landed behind her and nudged her.

His touch brought back most of her human thinking. The two followed the scent side by side and found a group of five panthers eating a deer in the middle of a ballroom. Nearby were five dead panthers in human form.

Memories came back and hit Kassity hard. She snarled and found Karina sitting in a throne watching the victors enjoy the spoils. The panther took over and she launched herself at the vampire. She heard the other panthers snarl, but she knew Jaxon would take care of them.

Karina jumped away from Kass before she landed. Her paws hit the back of the throne and knocked it over. Kassity stalked around the chair, her body low and ready to pounce. She moved closer to the vampire who grabbed a spear out of a vase of them and laughed.

“Come, kitty, I can’t control you, which means you have immortal blood. Sarah already told me that, but I didn’t believe her. She’s strong, that one. If your father had just trained her right she could have taken over a clan of her own.”

Kassity growled in response. She didn’t care right now. All she wanted was the vampire dead. Another panther leapt in her path and Kassity knew it was Sarah. Her human mind swam to the surface for a moment. She didn’t want to hurt Sarah, why hadn’t Jaxon kept her away?

Sarah jumped and Kass met her mid-air and knocked her down. Biting at her neck to warn her but Sarah swiped a claw over Kass’ face. She snarled and backed up. Sarah flipped Kass over, pinning her to the ground. Jaxon t-boned Sarah, knocking her off of Kass.

Kass jumped back to her feet and set her eyes on the vampire. She could hear Jax and Sarah fighting, but her focus was the creature who was controlling her sister. Karina gave a sly smile.

“So you aren’t above fighting your own sister. You’re more panther than human right now. I can sense that about you, but you know there’s one thing neither side will be able to handle.” She turned and threw the spear. Kass tried to get it before it struck Jason in the side. He toppled down and panic seized Kassity. Her heart shattered and he turned back into a human , the spear still lodged in his stomach.

She shifted without willing herself and ran to him. “Jaxon, no.” She begged and examined his body.

He gasped. “Silver.” He reached a bloody hand up to her and she couldn’t stop the tears. Her hands hovered over the spear before she gritted her teeth and pulled it out of him.

His body arched and he cried out. She put her hand over the wound to try and stop the blood flow but it wasn’t helping. She heard a snarl near her and turned just in time to see Sarah pounce. A bullet struck her in the side and she fell away from Kass.

Kass met Ayden’s gaze and gave him a brief nod. Jaxon’s hand touched her arm.

“I’m sorry Kass, I couldn’t stop her.”

Kass shook her head. “No, I should have attacked sooner, I should have let the beast take over. Don’t you dare think this is your fault.”

“I love you.” His hand slid down her arm and she bowed over his body.

“Don’t, you will not die on me. Jaxon, please.” She begged and pressed on the wound. His heart stilled under her. Her soul cried out as grief swept over her. Cursing every deity she knew, she tried to call on her beast so she could run. She couldn’t face this. The only good thing in her life just died in front of her.

Nothing happened when she called for it. The stupid cat was betraying her. She sobbed and pain wracked her body. Something warm spread through Jax and she jumped back with a gasp. A black tribal mark moved over his heart. She blinked as he gasped for breath.

She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe just in case she was dreaming. He touched the wound on his stomach and groaned. “Oh my God, that hurts.”

“Your mark!” She cried and hugged him. “Your immortal mark appeared.”

He touched his chest and then looked at her. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close. “So it has.” He pulled back and touched the top of her chest. “Look.”

She looked down and her eyes grew wide. “That’s my mark. Holy shit.”

“I hate to break up this love fest, and don’t get me wrong, Jax I’m glad a spear to the stomach didn’t kill you.” Ayden stepped up. “But Karina disappeared the moment Kassity went to you.”

Kass swallowed and dread sank in her stomach. She turned to see Sarah dead on the ground. She looked to Ayden who bowed his head. “I had no choice. You were distracted by grief. She would have killed you.”

She knew he was right. Karina would have killed Sarah for failing anyway, and without the vampire’s help, Sarah wouldn’t have had control. “Thank you for saving my life.”

“Of course, but we still have that little problem. The panthers that were all here are dead thanks to either Jax or Karina.”

“I didn’t have a choice. We all knew how it would be.” Jax cringed. “This needs to be patched up so it can heal. It hurts like a bitch.”

Ayden nodded. “Let’s get back, get Nuala and get everyone home.”

“Home.” Kassity nodded. They would have a lot to answer too and now that they knew what Karina had done with all of the panthers, there was no clan for Jaxon to claim. “I’m sorry, Jax.”

“Just not meant to be. Let’s go home. I’m sure we’ll have a lot to answer to when get there.”

She chuckled. “Oh Lucius is just going to love this.”

***

“B
oth of you.” Lucius stated after they showed him their marks. “After all this time, near death, no control, your family, and the one thing to make it appear is Jaxon dying.”

Kassity nodded and tried not to grin. “Yeah, apparently his took him dying.”

“Well, this will come in handy.” Lucius sighed. “Zaaren and Mae got the detective off our ass about you. So it’s safe for you to stay in the country, for now.”

Kass nodded. “And Karina?” She hadn’t told him what she’d learned about the vampire while she was out there. Somehow she felt that he didn’t need to know at this point.

“We’ll deal with the consequences of that later.” He grinned at the two. “Now I have two more Immortals on my side. It strengthens the territory and I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.”

––––––––

Author’s Note

Into the Night
is what I would consider the prequel to the DWC: Hunters series that will be released probably 2016. This is where DWC originally began, long before
The Touch of Night
and
In the Light of the Moon
. Isadora stars in an unpublished book titled The Taste of Blood, which is also where Zaaren first appeared. A lot has changed since I’ve written that book, but it will be altered, polished and published as part of the Hunter series. Enjoy! –A.L. Kessler

DWC: Hunters #0.5

S
he pulled the sword out of the vampire’s stomach and blood dripped to the ground. The creature merely growled at her, the wound doing nothing but pissing him off. Isadora backpedaled and tried to prepare for an attack. At ten years old, there wasn’t much she could do against a vampire unless she could find a gun. Her eyes flickered to the body lying on the ground a few feet away from the vampire. Grief spread through her at the idea that her mother wasn’t moving. Would never get up. Would never work with her again. Both her parents gone and taken out by this monster.

The vampire rushed her and she jumped to her mother’s side, discarding the sword and searching for the extra handgun she knew her mother carried. Her hand wrapped around the handle and she jumped up. Aiming, then firing eight rounds— four in his chest, four in his head and the thing collapsed to the ground. Isadora couldn’t breath past the panic and the scream that were building up in her throat. Her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground.

Her father had taught her to hold everything together until the danger was gone. Now that the last vampire ceased to move, she could break down. Tears streamed down her face and her hand shook as she put the gun next to her. No normal ten year old should have gone through this. She had no clue what to do now.

Isadora had no idea how long she sat in the dirt crying and screaming. From the time she could hold a weapon she’d been taught to fight and destroy vampires. Any of them who crossed her path and anyone working for them, and now they’d taken the only family she had away from her. Her dad’s cell phone went off and she looked towards his body. Crumpled on the ground, his jacket spread around him, his gun just out of reach and blood gathered around him.

She needed to answer that call. Living out in the country, there wasn’t anywhere she could go and she had no idea who to call for help. With a deep breath she pulled herself off the ground and rushed to the phone. Cringing, she searched through her father’s jacket and pulled out the phone. She found the green answer button and pressed it.

“H-hello?”

“Izzy? Why are you answering Jack’s phone?”

“They’re dead, the...the vampires attacked.” She said, hoping she didn’t sound crazy. “They killed my mom and dad.” Her voice hitched as more tears came.

He cursed. “Get in the house, lock the door and get the shotgun.”

“Who is this?” She ran to the house. Only a few hours of daylight remained, but the man was right, inside was safer.

“Michael Dunox. You can trust me Izzy, I’ll be there soon.”

The phone went dead in her hand and she stepped into the house. Locked the door and got the shotgun.

***

J
oey ran a hand through his hair. Michael had called him to help with a special situation. The special situation was a ten-year-old girl named Isadora Sidel who currently sat on the tailgate of his pickup. A mere child had taken out a vampire with a handgun and he was sure adrenaline had something to do with it. He took a deep breath and let his mental shields slide down. This was why Michael brought him so that he could read the girl and take her to the Society. As soon as his mental shields came down he was bombarded with her inner thoughts and emotions.

They’re dead, oh my God they are dead. That bastard sent his vampires here. I can’t believe this. I can’t quit crying.

He could feel the grief rolling off her. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself and looked away from him.

Hunters, mom and dad told me about them. I don’t know who to trust.

Joey put his shields back in place and walked over to her. “You can trust us. We handle this type of thing all the time.”

“Vampire attacks.” She confirmed and met his gaze with her blue eyes. Her black hair was shoulder length, tangled from the ordeal. “They knew who we were and where to find us.”

“Do you know them?”

She shook her head. “Not personally, we ran into a group of vampires in Europe. My mother killed one when I was attacked. I think the head of that group sent these ones after us.”

Joey pressed his lips together. Now was not the time to ask why she knew about vampires. He needed information first and then he’d focus on her. “Do you know who he was?”

“I heard one of the vampires call him Markus.” She cringed. “What’s going to happen to me now? I...the cops aren’t going to believe that these men weren’t human. Mom and dad are dead. I have no one left.”

His heart ached for her. “No out of state relatives?”

“No.” She started to cry again and Joey wrapped an arm around her.

“You’re coming to the Hunting Society then. Clearly you already know about the supernatural, and you seem to have a knack for defending yourself.”

She gave a shaky nod and he squeezed her hand. “We’ll take good care of you. Go ahead and get in the truck while Michael and I finish up.”

She nodded and went to the cab of the truck and climbed in. Michael walked up. “The sun will deal with the vampires’ bodies, but we still have to worry about her parents.”

“You were close to this family?” Joey asked and turned back to the gruesome scene.

“I was. Jack and I joined up as Independent Hunters when I was kicked out of the Society. What I didn’t know then is that Jack comes from a long line of Independent Hunters.”

Joey sighed. “What do we do?”

“You take Izzy into the Society and continue her training. We get our people to take care of this mess. She doesn’t have family that I know of, the Society will be good for her.” Michael glanced at her in the car. “She’s got to be devastated, but Jack and Marilyn both knew that this was a possibility.”

“Did they have a will?”

Michael snorted. “They did, but I did the research when they wrote it, no one can find a family by the name of DeBeau. And it’s not a name related to her mother or father.”

“Strange.” Joey shook his head. “Come on, let’s get her back. I’m sure she’s exhausted. Why did you call them anyways?”