Born In Blood (Born Hunter Book 1) (10 page)

Sixteen

             
C
ara sensed a vampire too close for comfort. She instinctively drew the dagger at her back. It should have sunk into flesh but something solid blocked its path. Someone was speaking at her. She could not make out what they were saying but the sound stirred her from the last vestiges of sleep. When she opened her eyes obsidian black stared back at her.

Asad kept his hand firmly closed around Cara’s dagger, unfazed by the scarlet blood already stanching in flow around it. “I am going to let go of your blade now Hunter. Please lower it when I do,” Asad remained the picture of phlegmatism as he spoke.

Cara was unfamiliar with the vampire before her and she had no reason to trust him. Nevertheless, a sense of calmness washed over her that stilled her hand and prodded her muscles into relaxation. As promised he opened his hand and released the dagger. Cara did not re-sheathe it, but she did lower it. The corner of the vampire’s mouth twitched into a brief smile. An acknowledgement of respect rather than a mocking gesture. Cara looked around and saw that they were the only two on the plane.

As if reading her line of thought the vampire informed her, “Everyone else disembarked immediately after the plane landed. Aiden, specifically, had a quick matter to attend to. He asked that I stay behind, allow you a few additional hours of rest, and escort you to meet him once you are ready.”

“Um, thanks,” Cara said awkwardly. She glanced at her watch. They were scheduled to land at 2 o’clock and it was now 6:30. The vampire had waited around an empty plane for her to wake up for quite some time. Even if he only did it because Aiden commanded him to, it was still an inconvenient, boring pain in the ass. She felt she at leased owed him a modicum of polite recognition. Cara stood up and grabbed her carry-on from beneath the seat. “I am ready to leave when you are.”

The vampire looked at her with mirth in his coal black eyes. “You cannot wear
that
to where I am escorting you,” he motioned over what she wore.  She dressed for the plane ride in her leather hunting gear figuring she might as well be prepared to hit the ground running once they landed.

Cara eyed the vampire with new suspicion. “Why can’t I? And where exactly are we going?”

“Our customs dictate that as Heir to the Throne, Aiden is welcomed to the region by the highest ranking vampire available in the area. By chance, the South American Council Lord is in Ecuador tonight. It would be seen as a grievous slight to both Aiden and his father if he did not personally receive Aiden himself.  As such, he has invited Aiden to dine with him and his mate at his Ecuador estate. Aiden would like you to accompany him. However….”  The vampire paused for a second then coughed. “You will need to change into more formal attire for the occasion.”

Cara seriously considered brandishing her dagger again. However cutting the master would be much more satisfying than cutting the messenger.  Her annoyance with Aiden spared said messenger before her. “Asad, right? You can tell your
Liege, Grace, Heir, Prince,
whatever the hell it is that you call him that I am not going to some ridiculous vampire social call. I agreed to assist with investigating murders and tracking down a killer. I am not here to amuse Aiden or play tea party with vampire nobility that I would just as soon decapitate.”

Asad smiled at her. He respected the hunter from the moment he learned she had knocked Rafe on his ostentatious ass. Now he was actually beginning to like her.
Aiden may be getting himself into more than he bargained for by pursuing this particular female
, he comically thought. “I ordinarily do not call Aiden anything other than his birth-given name. Aiden also requested I inform you the dinner is not merely a social call. As head of the region, Council Lord Elias may have knowledge of the murders we are here to look into. Aiden intends to question him this evening. He assumed you would like to be present.”

The only portion of Asad’s words that held any truth was the initial bit about him only referring to his Liege by his given name. Like Rafe and Dorian, he had much too close of a bond with Aiden to bother with any pretense of formality and Aiden had long ago insisted that he cease referring to him by any formal title. Dorian persisted on doing so because he was a stickler for tradition. Rafe did so just to piss Aiden off. Asad was not as rigid as Dorian about adhering to decorum or as gleeful as Rafe about breaking it. Except in this instance even the trickster in Rafe would be proud. Aiden had never said anything about questioning Elias regarding the murders. In fact, Asad was sure Elias was just as clueless as the next moron. How he rose to the position of Council Lord, Asad would never comprehend. But Asad knew it was all Cara needed to hear to get her to join Aiden at Elias’ estate. The resulting dance between he and Cara would be interesting to watch unravel. Asad did not feel bad about the deception. When one lived for an eternity, they learned the find amusement in the smallest things. His friend was trying to catch the hunter in his trap but the hunter was, unbeknownst to herself and Aiden, weaving a web of her own.

Being a Cavanaugh, Cara was no stranger to grandiloquent, elitist gatherings, but she detested them nevertheless.  If such events with the high society humans of Manhattan were unbearable, Cara abhorred to think what the night would be like with pretentious, self-important vampires. However, if Aiden was questioning Elias about the murders she wanted to be there. She would have to put her big girl panties on and suck up her disdain. “He assumed correctly,” Cara conceded. “Show me where I can make myself more
presentable.”

Asad chuckled as if there was an inside joke that only he and himself knew about. “Right through there.” He motioned to a door near the nose of the plane. “You will find everything you should need to get ready. We leave in half an hour.”

Seventeen

C
ara was more than a little irked at Aiden’s audacity to select her attire. She told herself she only wore the silver evening gown now because she had not packed anything so formal. In truth, she was a sucker for vintage Chanel. She rode alongside Asad in the back of the black Mercedes SUV. An unfamiliar vampire drove them across the sierra region of Ecuador toward their destination. Cara turned her head to gaze out the window. She reveled in the breathtaking beauty of the central Andes. The mountain peaks were capped in pristine white, while the rolling regions of lower elevation sparkled a lush, green. Suddenly Cara had the feeling that she was being watched. She turned her head to find Asad looking at her. On closer assessment, she decided that looking at her was not at all an accurate description of what he was doing. His stare was painstakingly fixed to a single spot left exposed by the plunging neckline of her dress.

“You have a problem with my hunter’s mark?” Cara looked down at the tribal pattern of soft swirls and harsh lines as she spoke.

Her voice seemed to snap him out if his daze. He looked up at her. “Forgive me Hunter, I meant no offense. Though I am curious as to what it represents if you do not mind my asking.”

For reasons unknown to her, Cara felt compelled to share the meaning behind her tattoo with the vampire. “It’s symbolic for vengeance. Though not vengeance in the sense of a thing, but vengeance in the sense of both an action and a state of being. It means to eternally seek vengeance to the extent of embodiment. To live it, bleed it, and die for it.”

Asad’s expression turned pensive. “Is that what you desire? To die for your vengeance?”

Cara did not need to think about the answer to his question. She made her decision a long time ago. “If that is what it takes, then yes, I will die for it.”

“I did not ask if you were
willing
, I asked if that is what you
desire
.”

“I don’t actively court death, if that’s what you mean. But I will have my vengeance. And if I have to sacrifice my life to see it through, so be it.” Cara was growing annoyed with every one around her assuming she wanted to die. She valued her life, she did, but there were some things more important than preserving it.

Asad returned his attention to the tribal markings on her collarbone. “I have seen the symbol you carry on your flesh before. In the ancient tongue of my people it means one who is driven by vengeance. Be careful Hunter, if vengeance is all you have to live for, it will also be all you die for.”

“I am unafraid to die.”

“But what is the sense in dying for a hollow victory.”

“It’s not hollow if I can bring my father’s killer to justice.” Cara was becoming defensive and this conversation was about to end.

Asad sensed Cara’s change in temperament and only offered one last bit of wisdom. “It is an empty win if the price you pay is a hollow life.” He abruptly turned his attention away from Cara, asking the driver the approximate time until they arrived. He then went to typing away on the tablet that sat in his lap.

Cara turned her head to continue staring out the window. Why this vampire she barely knew felt the need to have such a conversation with her she had no idea. She was aware that statement was becoming redundant with the vampire who sat beside her. Asad’s actions were an enigma she had yet to solve. He was not like other vampires she encountered. She cursed herself for not keeping her attention turned toward the mountains in the first place. Perhaps if she never acknowledged the vampire he would not have dragged her into a conversation that made her look more deeply into herself than she wished. She mindlessly watched the mountain peaks pass by one after another.  Once you had climbed so far up a mountain, it was easier to keep going to the top than it was to turn around and climb back down.

---

Aiden stepped out of his black SUV at the same time Cara stepped out of hers. One look at her stole his breath away. Until then he had only ever seen her in either her leathers, jeans or business slacks. The plunging neckline of the formal dress she wore left her breasts temptingly bared. The fine silk it was made of fit her petite frame like a glove, hugging every sinful curve. He selected the gown with the steel gray color of her eyes in mind, but in person its effect on them was more stunning than he imagined. The polished, gleaming silver of the dress illuminated her eyes in a way that made them shimmer under the moonlight. The combined effect was so alluring Aiden had to curl his hands into tight fists at his side to keep from reaching out and drawing her into his arms. He met Cara at the base of the grand staircase leading up to Elias’ estate and proffered her his arm. To his astonishment, she accepted it. “You look ravishing,” he whispered in her ear as they ascended the steps.

Cara did not turn her head to look at her him. To do so would only fan the growing embers of fire within her. The tailored tuxedo fitted over his muscular frame made him look like sin incarnate. He could surely tempt a woman into hell better than the devil himself. “Down boy,” she whispered back. “I’m not on the menu.”

“But you should be.” She saw Aiden’s mouth contort into that infuriatingly charming grin of his from the corner of her eye.  Damn him. She would not turn her head and look at it full on. “It would make this evening a little more bearable.”

That elicited a small grin of her own. “Sounds like someone hates social calls as much as I do.”

“I downright detest them. I considered declining the invitation to dine with the Council Lord and his mate. Though seeing you in that dress makes me glad I did not. You sure you are not on the menu? Perhaps as a post-dinner dessert?”

“Only in your dreams.” Cara regretted the words as soon as they left her lips.

Aiden’s grin changed from charming to devilish. He abruptly stopped walking then forcibly turned her to the side so that she had no choice but to look at him straight on. “Apparently in yours as well, Hunter.” He ran his hands down the length of her arms.

To Cara’s horror she had to exert considerable control over her body to force it to remain rigid when all it really wanted to do was melt into Aiden’s embrace.  Still for all of her efforts, she was powerless to stop the tiny treacherous quiver that slipped past her control. Cara was suddenly glad for the rouge on her cheeks. It would hide the blush that warmed them. “Let’s agree to not talk about that again. Ever.”

The grin on Aiden’s face straightened into a hard-pressed, unyielding line. “Not on your life Hunter.” The fantasy they shared proved her subconscious desired him as much as he desired her. Now all he had to do was work on getting her to consciously admit it. That would be the hardest part of the battle. The hunter had proven stubborn to a fault. Once she willingly acknowledged the spark that existed between them, it would be easy work getting her to submit to it. He released Cara and they climbed the remainder of the steps in silence.  A pair of overly large, French wooden doors loomed at the top of the steps. As if on cue, they swung open as soon as they reached them.  The Council Lord of South America and his mate stepped out from behind them.

“Welcome to my estate, Your Grace. It is an honor to personally receive you.” Nothing in the Council Lord’s countenance supported his claims. His tone was clipped and his lips were strained into a tight-lipped smile. The words he spoke were little more than forced formality. It even appeared to physically pain him to lower his head in the prerequisite show of deference.

              Aiden, of course, was bemused by his discomfort. Though he did not offer the vampire the award-winning, arrogantly infuriating grin he usually gifted Cara with. Instead he straightened to his full height, staring down the length of his regal nose at the Council Lord. “Elias, thank you for the invitation.” Aiden took on an air of smug superiority the degree to which Cara had yet to see. As heir to the vampire throne, Aiden outranked him and therefore was not required to preface any address with a formal title. With the Council Lords and vampire nobility Aiden did not care for, he chose to be a bastard and forsake the use of their titles simply to grate their nerves. It was fun when you knew they were prohibited from blatantly expressing their displeasure, especially if they valued their nearly immortal lives.

A nerve ticked in Elias’ jaw. Yet he remained quiet.

“Your Grace, what a treat it is to have you dine with us. You do not make your way down to South America nearly enough.” The black haired beauty stepped forward to kiss Aiden’s cheek. When her lips connected with his skin Cara had the sudden urge to knock her on her ass. Particularly, when her lips hovered longer than was appropriate.

Aiden smartly took a step back.  “Cara forgive my manners. Allow me to present to you Elias, the Council Lord of South America and his mate, the Lady Evelyn.”

Elias’ eyes slowly perused her frame. She stiffened when he reached out to take her hand. “Magnificent,” he murmured as he planted a kiss to the back of it. He then turned his attention back to Aiden. “My Lord, where did you find such a lovely specimen? How fun it must have been conquering this one. I have admittedly never tangled with a hunter, in the bed or on the streets, but I can imagine they fuck as fiercely as they fight, eh?”

Cara snatched her hand out of his grip. “The former I can’t help you with but I would be more than happy to give you the experience of the latter.” She brandished the twin daggers she refused to go anywhere without. Normally they were strapped to her back but the confines of the gown she wore forced her to secure them in holsters banded around her thighs. The high splits cut into the sides of the dress allowed her easy access to them “Every hunter has a favorite hunting tool. These are mine. Let’s see how much you enjoy having your heart carved out.”

Elias threw his head back and laughed, revealing a lone dimple in his left cheek. He was not a physically unattractive man. He possessed a mature, distinguished look that made him appear the equivalent of a human man in his mid forties. He was tall and slender with a strong aquiline nose and eyes the color of cognac.  However, there was a crude, sleaziness about him that rendered the Council Lord largely unappealing. “Hunter you are welcome to try any time, any place, anywhere.”

Aiden threw Cara a look to stall her hand. “While you will meet no resistance from me if you decide to make good on your threat, I am inclined to inform you that Elias is one of Viktor’s favored Council Lords. Ending his life may come with repercussions best avoided.” He then looked at Elias with a withering glare. “It is the reason I have yet to end him myself. But be warned Council Lord, mind your manners tonight. My father may not be happy with your demise but I think I could persuade him to overlook a day, or two or ten of your excruciating torture.”

Elias dipped into a mocking bow. “Duly noted Your Grace.” He straightened then motioned for he and Cara to enter through the wooden doors.

Cara paused in her steps, allowing the female vampire to walk in front of her.  Pure hostility had been radiating off of her in waves ever since Aiden rejected her non too subtle advance. Cara felt uneasy having her at her back and felt much more relaxed once she was in eye view.

Cara sat next to Aiden at one end of a formal marble table. The table was situated on a dais in an otherwise empty space fashioned after a medieval great hall. As one servant after another brought out an elaborate array of food in preposterous proportions, Evelyn explained that she found the idea of serving their future Sovereign a mere meal unabidable. Therefore, she had arranged for entertainment as well as a gesture of what an honor it was to receive Aiden in their home. She refused to disclose what the entertainment was, promising it would be a delightful surprise.

Once the food was served, two vampires stepped into the great hall. One was a tall, neatly groomed overweight redhead who reminded Cara of a sumo wrestler. The other was short and stocky. His skin was covered in grime and his brown hair lay matted to his scalp. The ceiling opened above them. As a steel cage dropped out of it and lowered around the men, Cara became uneasy. She sensed Aiden tense beside her as well, though when she turned to look at him, he appeared completely unfazed. Once the cage was in place, the vampires began circling each other in a slow, predatory fashion. They were sizing each other up. Noting strengths and checking for weaknesses. The redhead saw an opening and took it. He launched himself at his opponent, attempting to claw at his chest, but the stocky male was more agile than he appeared. He lithely stepped out of the redhead’s path and landed a roundhouse kick to his temple. The giant swayed on his feet.  The grimy-looking one took advantage of the opportunity, smashing a steel-toed boot into the front of his face. The vampire on the receiving end grunted in pain though he did not go down. Instead, he took hold of the smaller one’s ankle and yanked upward, sending him crashing to the ground. It was the wrestler’s turn to connect his boot with his opponent’s face. It came down hard and brutal. Cara heard the snap of bones breaking. Blood spouted from beneath his boot. He did not lift his foot. Instead he ground it deeper into the vampire’s skull, applying force until the pressure was too much for his bone structure to withstand. A gruesome pop bounced off the stone walls of the great hall as the vampire’s head exploded beneath the giant’s foot.

Elias stood up from the table and applauded the performance. “A good show as always, Ciaran. Poor Hamish never stood a chance. Though he did put up a good fight. Amazing what additional strength the desire for riches can give to a man. Pity it was not nearly enough. I daresay one of these days you will meet your match Ciaran. Until then you may collect your winnings on your way out.”