The Recruit (Book Three) (15 page)

Andrew laughed.
“No, I’m not still in the closet.”

“Oh good.”
Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. “You know, I outed a boy once
from our church, Joe was his name, right in the middle of a potluck
lunch. It was terrible and I felt so awful about it.”

She sighed
before brightening. “Although, it all worked out in the end. He
actually was rather pleased that his parents finally knew, and
after they got over the initial shock they were very accepting of
him. But still, you would think after that experience I would know
better, wouldn’t you?”

Andrew laughed
again. “It’s not a problem, Natalie.”

“So, are you
dating anyone?” She suddenly asked again.

Andrew shook
his head. “I am not.”

“What a shame.
You’re such a handsome and well-spoken man.” Natalie replied.
“Chen’s single as well. Did you know that?”

Chen, his face
bright red, coughed and choked on a mouthful of tea. Andrew pounded
him on the back as Natalie passed him a napkin.

“Natalie –
settin’ up the kung fu master on a date.” Luther grinned
widely.

“I’m a natural
matchmaker. It used to drive Hannah and Sara crazy when they were
younger. I was always trying to set them up with different boys
from our church.” Natalie laughed. “In fact, I set up Joe with a
lovely young man named Joshua. And the last I heard, they were
still together.”

“So why aren’t
you puttin’ your skills to good use with me and my wolf girl?”
Luther asked indignantly.

Natalie patted
his hand. “One – you’re much too young for her and two – she’s in
love with Ryan.”

Chen, his face
still bright red, stood up abruptly. “Excuse me, I have to use the
restroom.”

He left the
kitchen as Natalie smiled at Andrew. “Would you like more tea,
Andrew?”

“No, thank
you.” Andrew glanced at his watch. “I should get Chen back to the
facility. I imagine he’s getting pretty tired and – “

He stopped as
there was a knock on the front door.

“Jim probably
forgot his keys again. Be a dear and let him and your brother in
please, Luther.” Natalie squeezed Luther’s arm and he nodded before
leaving the kitchen.

“So, how is
Chen doing with his physiotherapy?” Natalie asked.

“We haven’t
really started yet.” Andrew replied. “Tomorrow morning I’m going to
have him start – “

There was a
startled yell from the hallway and a loud thud. Natalie and Andrew
both stood and Natalie gave a soft gasp of surprise when Luther,
his hand clapped over his arm and bright blood pouring out from
between his fingers, ran into the kitchen.

“Natalie, get
out!” He shouted and shoved her toward the back door of the
kitchen. “Go, right now!”

“Luther? What’s
wrong? Why are you bleeding?” Natalie grabbed at his arm as there
was a low chuckle from the hallway. The hair on the back of
Andrew’s neck stood up and he backed toward Natalie and Luther as a
leech, his dark hair slicked back and his eyes glowing a soft
yellow, peered into the kitchen.

“Hello,
snacks!” He grinned at them as two more vampires crowded up behind
him.

* * *

The vampires
watched the two humans walk hand-in-hand through the forest. The
vampire at the front, a squat man with short, greasy hair and
pock-marked skin, held his hand up as the vampires behind him began
to salivate. When the humans were less than ten feet away he
stepped out into the moonlight and grinned at them as the other
vampires crowded up behind him.

“Hello,
humans.”

The man stared
at them. “Hello, motherfuckers.”

The vampire
frowned. “Watch your tongue, maggot.”

The man dropped
the woman’s hand and took a step closer. “What are you going to do
if I don’t?”

The vampire
shot forward and grasped the collar of the man’s jacket, yanking
him forward. “Rip it from your mouth, you impudent little – “

He stopped and
cocked his head at the man before looking downward. A wooden stake
was buried in his chest and as his skin began to blacken he gave a
short, hoarse scream of fear. He burst into ash and blood and the
man grimaced before wiping his face with his shirt sleeve.

The other
vampires stared at him in shock as the woman laughed bitterly.

“That surprised
them. Didn’t it, Mannie?”

Mannie grinned
at Mallorie. “I like to keep them on their toes.”

Mallorie pulled
two stakes from a holder around her waist and gripped them firmly.
“Who’s next?”

The vampires
hissed loudly and a female leech, her eyes bright red and her dark
hair tied back in a ponytail, arched her eyebrows at them. “There
are only two of you and many of us.”

“Two?” Mannie
glanced behind him. “Who said there was only two of us?”

The vampires
gave each other uneasy looks as a blond man and a small,
dark-haired woman, both of them carrying guns, joined Mannie and
Mallorie.

“Fuck, I hate
leeches.” The blond man shook his head as a low growling started to
the left of them. Constance, in her wolf form and her eyes glowing
bright green, stepped into the light and grinned at the
vampires.

The female
vampire hissed again before turning to the others. “Kill them.”

The vampires
surged forward as more humans, all of them armed heavily, appeared
out of the darkness.

As a leech
darted toward Mannie, he grinned wildly and shouted, “I love this
fucking job!”

* * *

Luther tore
open a drawer and pulled out a butcher knife. “Natalie! Run!” He
shouted before shoving her again toward the back door. Natalie
stumbled from the kitchen into the darkness of the yard.

Her heart
beating fiercely, she glanced around uncertainly before taking a
step back toward the door.

“Going
somewhere?” A vampire appeared out of the darkness to smile
benignly at her.

“Stay away from
me.” Natalie whispered.

“Oh, I can’t do
that.” The vampire grinned. “Not when I’m so very thirsty.”

He took a step
forward as Natalie backed toward the door. “Don’t be afraid. It
will only hurt for a – “

Natalie made a
harsh noise of surprise and disgust when there was a soft whooshing
sound and the vampire’s head slid from his body. As his head
tumbled to the ground and his body crumpled, she sobbed with relief
at the sight of Hannah standing behind him.

Will, in his
wolf form, loped to her side and Hannah glanced at him briefly. “Is
the other one dead?”

Will chuffed
softly as Natalie rushed forward and grabbed Hannah’s arm. “The
others! There are three more in the kitchen!”

“Stay behind
me, mom.” Hannah said grimly.

Chapter 12

The three
vampires crowded into the kitchen as Luther and Andrew backed
away.

“Which one do
you want?” The tallest vampire asked.

“That one.” The
vampire next to him pointed at Luther as the third one frowned.

“I don’t want
to share.”

“Too bad.” The
tall vampire shoved at his companion irritably and Andrew shouted
with fear and surprise when the leech moved quickly across the room
and pushed him up against the wall. He punched at the vampire as,
behind him, the remaining two vampires leaped at Luther. The young
teenager cursed loudly and one of the vampires screamed thinly.

Luther had
sliced across his throat with the butcher knife and the vampire
clapped his hand to his neck before glaring at the boy. “You’ll pay
for that, you insolent little shit!”

He picked up
Luther with one hand and threw him across the kitchen. Luther
landed in a crumpled heap on the floor, the butcher knife sliding
across the tile floor, and the two vampires grinned at each other
and fell on him.

Andrew screamed
as the vampire pinning him to the wall gripped his hair with an icy
cold hand and yanked his head back. He studied the veins in
Andrew’s throat as saliva began to drip from his mouth. “Go ahead
and scream, I don’t – “

He suddenly
twitched, his hand tightening in Andrew’s hair, as blood began to
flow from his mouth. Andrew cried out and threw his arms over his
face when the vampire exploded, showering him in ash and blood.

Chen, holding
the fireplace poker, the end of it drenched in the leech’s blood,
stared anxiously at Andrew.

“Andrew! Are
you alright? Were you bitten?”

“No.” Andrew
wiped the blood from his face as Chen turned around.

“Stay behind
me.” He said quietly as he raised the fireplace poker. The other
two vampires, one of them holding a struggling, cursing Luther down
with a knee across his chest, hissed loudly at them.

The other stood
and took a few steps closer to Chen and Andrew. “A man with only
one hand believes he can defeat me?”

Chen didn’t
reply and the vampire grinned and shot across the room. He knocked
the poker from Chen’s hand and wrapped his hand around his neck. He
lifted him from the floor and grabbed Chen’s stump with his other,
squeezing and twisting viciously. A grin crossed his face when Chen
screamed hoarsely and blood bloomed on the bandage. As blood began
to drip on to the floor, the vampire slammed him against the
counter. Andrew scrambled forward and punched the vampire in the
side as Chen made a soft, choking noise. The vampire hissed at
Andrew but didn’t release his grip on Chen’s neck and arm.

“Get away from
him!” Andrew shouted and punched him again.

With an
irritated sigh, the vampire let go of Chen’s arm and shoved Andrew
in the chest. The slender man was knocked off his feet, his head
banging painfully on the tile floor.

“There, that’s
better.” The vampire said cheerfully. He turned toward Chen, his
eyes lighting up as Chen’s struggles grew weaker. “I’ll have to eat
quickly, you’re losing an awful lot of – “

The door to the
kitchen banged open and a tall, dark-haired woman rushed into the
kitchen. She was carrying a long sword and the vampire dropped Chen
and began to back away.

“Is that – a
sword?” His frown turned into a soft gasp of surprise when the
woman, moving more quickly than any human he’d seen before, lunged
forward and thrust her sword deep into his chest.

Luther cursed
again and tried to push the leech off of him. The vampire was
drinking greedily from his neck, and he stiffened and lifted his
head from Luther’s neck when he felt the hot breath of the Lycan
stir his hair.

“No.” The leech
whimpered as the Lycan grinned at him.

“Please, no,
don’t – “

The Lycan sank
his teeth into his head, the vampire screamed pitifully as his
skull cracked under the pressure of the Lycan’s massive jaws, and
ripped the leech’s head from his body. He dropped the head to the
floor and howled triumphantly as the vampire disintegrated into ash
and blood.

Luther
scrambled to his feet. His eyes were round with panic and he
shouted hoarsely at Hannah. “Natalie! She’s outside and there might
be others!”

“She’s fine.”
Hannah said quickly as Luther staggered toward the door. “Luther,
she’s okay, don’t – “

Natalie stepped
into the kitchen and Luther gave a hoarse shout of relief before
throwing himself at her. She wrapped her arms around him and
pressed kisses against his forehead and cheeks.

“I’m okay,
honey. I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”
Luther asked anxiously.

“Yes, dearest,
I’m fine.” Natalie stroked his hair before leading him to one of
the chairs. “Sit down, Luther.”

She grabbed a
dishtowel and pressed it against his bleeding arm before kissing
the top of his head. “Just stay still, dear.”

Luther nodded
and leaned his head against her stomach. He closed his eyes as
Natalie stroked his head and the back of his neck and made soothing
sounds of comfort.

“Master!
Master, can you hear me?” Hannah was kneeling next to Chen and she
helped him sit up as he coughed wretchedly.

“Fuck! You’re
really bleeding!” There was an edge of panic in her voice.

“Andrew?” Chen
rasped before taking a ragged breath. “Where’s Andrew?”

“I’m right
here.”

Andrew, his
face pale and blood trickling down his temple, knelt beside him. He
had a handful of dishtowels in his hand and he gave Chen a grim
look. “I’m sorry, this is going to hurt like a bitch.”

Hannah flinched
when Andrew pressed the dishtowels against the bleeding stump and
Chen screamed hoarsely. The towels were almost immediately soaked
through and Andrew lifted his gaze to Hannah.

“My belt. Take
it off – quickly!”

Hannah
unbuckled his belt and pulled it free as Andrew smiled reassuringly
at Chen. “Wrap the belt around his upper arm and pull it tight.” He
didn’t take his gaze from Chen’s pale face.

“You’ll have to
hold it in place.” Andrew instructed as he reached out and smoothed
Chen’s hair back. “I’m going to lift your arm over your head.
Ready?”

Chen nodded and
Hannah made a soft noise of distress when Chen screamed again.

“It’s okay, I
know it hurts.” Andrew soothed quietly. He glanced at Hannah in
alarm. “Hannah? Are you alright?”

Her eyes were
glowing bright green and she was making low snarling noises under
her breath as hair began to grow on her cheeks. She was staring
wide-eyed at Chen, and Andrew swallowed nervously.

There was a
soft pop and then a naked Will was kneeling next to them. He cupped
Hannah’s face and made her look at him. “It’s okay, Hannah.”

“Chen.” She
whispered. “He’s dying, Will. He’s dying and I – “

“He’s not
dying.” Will said calmly. “We’ll get him to the infirmary and Barb
will take care of him. Take some deep breaths, honey. If you shift,
it’s not going to help. We need you to help us get Chen back to the
facility.”

Hannah turned
her gaze back to Chen. He stared steadily at her, but his face was
pale and his body was beginning to tremble violently. She took a
shaky breath as the front door slammed. Will, a growl rising in his
chest, stood up as Luther staggered to his feet and stood
protectively in front of Natalie.