HUNTER WATCHED LEXINE and Sterling walk to the front of the room to face the Vampire Council. It was their monthly meeting, and now, five men and three women would control Lexine’s and Sterling’s fates. It was time for them to discover their punishment.
Lucas and his friends had already received their punishments. Life in prison. Not only had they played a role in the vandalism, but there was also arson, blood-raping Lexine and sexually assaulting her, and attempted murder of two Guardians. Lucas had explained that he never meant for anyone to get hurt in the blast. He had set a small enough blast, only planning to stun Lexine and Sterling, figuring they would come after him after the failed incident behind the nightclub. The Council hadn’t cared and decided to throw the book at him and his accomplices.
Lucas and his group were going to a private prison that housed only vampires and was off the grid to humans.
“Lexine Harlow and Sterling Wardell, we’ve been filled in on what happened,” Councilman Hutton said. He then listed their transgressions. Lexine’s was much longer than Sterling’s. “How do you plead?”
“Guilty,” Lexine said.
“Guilty,” Sterling said.
The council members didn’t look surprised because Dante had been talking to them for the last two weeks.
“Sterling,” the councilman said, “you are now on probation for three months for your failure to inform your leader, the king and queen”—he pointed to where the king and queen sat off to the side—“or us about your knowledge of who was behind the attacks and Lexine’s involvement with them.”
Sterling bowed and nodded. “I understand and accept my penalty.”
“Lexine,” the councilman said, “you are hereby stripped of your role and title as Guardian. We can no longer trust you to take the interest of our people above your own. You will have to immediately turn over all your weapons and anything else tied to the Guardians. Do you understand this?”
“Yes, sir.” Lexine bowed her head.
“Do either of you have questions?” Councilwoman Vanderbilt asked.
“No, ma’am,” they both said.
“Then, you may be seated.”
Hunter was amazed that Lexine wasn’t fighting this. Yes, she was guilty, but Hunter couldn’t imagine not being a Guardian. It was such a big part of who he was. He couldn’t imagine doing anything else with his life.
“Guardians,” the councilwoman said, “let this be a reminder that who you fraternize with and what you do on your off time can affect your position.”
Hunter didn’t know if he was imagining it, but it seemed like the councilwoman was looking right at him. Had she somehow found out he was involved with another male? Sweat began to form on his forehead. Would they call him out in front of everyone? Would they ask him to come to the front of the room and tell him he was suspended, too? Or worse, fired?
“I would like you all to be careful about who you let into your lives. You are Guardians first and foremost. You are being watched all the time, and nothing you do goes unnoticed.”
Sweat now covered Hunter’s body. They had to be talking about him.
“Do you understand this?”
“Yes,” he heard the other Guardians respond around him.
“Hunter?”
He looked up at Councilwoman Vanderbilt and tried not to cower. “Ma’am?”
“Do you understand what I am saying?”
He swallowed. “Yes.”
“Good. Guardians are dismissed.”
Hunter watched the Guardians, along with Sterling and Lexine, get up and file out of the room, and then he came up on their tail. Once they were outside, the group of them stopped.
“Lexine, are you okay?” Morgan asked.
“Yes. I figured this would happen. I was prepared. Besides, after these past few months, I’ve begun to realize this isn’t the job for me. I think I did it because my brother did. But he’s a far better Guardian than I am.”
“We’re going to miss you,” Tempest said.
“Well, the good news is, I’m not moving out.”
“You’re not?” Lennox asked.
“Nope. I already talked to Dante, and he gave me permission to live with Sterling. I thought I’d go back to school or something. I’m keeping my options open.”
There was a group of cheers all around, except for Lennox, who looked at Sterling. “I still don’t know if I like it.”
“You just have your panties in a twist because you found out the screamer was your sister,” Morgan said.
Lennox gagged, and everyone laughed.
“Let’s go home,” Dante said.
“I have to make one stop,” Hunter told the group. “Then, I’ll meet you guys back at the compound.”
Everyone told him good-bye. He got in his car and made his way over to the Minneapolis side of the river. He drove to the wolf-shifters’ mansion and went to the door.
When he knocked, Damien answered. “Hunter, what can I do for you?”
“Is Quentin around? I need to speak with him.”
“Sure. You want to come in?” he asked as he held the door open further.
“No, thanks. Just have him meet me outside.”
“Okay. Will do.”
Damien shut the door, and Hunter was left alone to wait.
Some would maybe think he was crazy for what he was about to do with all the interspecies relationships going on, but it just wasn’t the same as a homosexual relationship. After all, interracial marriages had become legal in the United States in 1967 while same-sex marriages just became legal in 2015, almost fifty years later. And he was pretty sure the Council still wasn’t happy with Naya and Vaughn’s relationship. Ultimately, they were the ones with the control, and he couldn’t risk their disapproval.
Until recently, he had always thought he was asexual, so being a Guardian was all he’d ever had and known. Finding Quentin had been a surprise and not something he had ever considered for his future. While he was very into the wolf, Hunter had only known him a month and not very well. He couldn’t risk throwing his whole career away for a relationship that might not last. Because then he would really be alone. Hunter didn’t like what he was about to do, but he knew he was making the right decision.
A few minutes later, the door opened again, and Quentin stepped outside. “Hey, what are you doing here?” He moved to step closer to Hunter but stopped when he saw the vampire’s face.
“I need to talk to you.”
Quentin sighed in defeat. “You can talk, but I can already see that tomorrow’s finally arrived.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Remember how I told you about the honeymoon phase? How you think you have everything all figured out, but tomorrow, you might wake up and feel differently?”
“Yes.”
Quentin crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, I can see that tomorrow has arrived. Reality has finally reared its ugly head, and you’ve decided you’re not ready.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“Okay then. Prove me wrong. What do you want to talk about, Hunter?”
Hunter didn’t say anything.
“Yeah, man, that’s what I thought. I do have a question for you though.”
“What?”
“You recently had a female in heat at your place, right?”
“Yes.”
“How’d that work out for you?” Quentin shook his head. “You didn’t feel a single thing, did ya?”
Quentin was right. When Lennox had asked him how Phoenix’s heat affected him, he’d known that he wasn’t like the other guys in the house. Hunter didn’t say anything again.
Quentin dropped his arms. “Is there any changing your mind?”
Yes. “No.”
“Then, we’re done here.”
“I’m sorry, Quentin.” Hunter had to get it out before the shifter went back inside.
“I’m sorry, too.”
“You don’t understand. Sterling and Lexine were punished tonight. The Council talked about our social lives and how it could affect our positions. They looked right at me, and I swear, they were talking about you and me. Please, you have to understand. I can’t lose being a Guardian.”
Quentin’s shoulders sagged, and he stepped closer to Hunter. So close, their chests almost touched. Quentin reached up and cupped Hunter’s cheek. “Oh, Hunter, I’m not sorry for me. I’m sorry for you. I’m sad that you’re going to live every day suppressing yourself and telling a lie. Have you even talked to Dante about it?”
Hunter shook his head. “What if he tells the Council?”
Quentin dropped his arm and leaned over to give Hunter one last kiss. “Good-bye, Hunter,” the shifter said. Quentin turned around and headed back to the house. “I’ll see you around. I hope everything works out for you.” He opened the door and went inside.
“Good-bye, Quentin.”