The Hunt

Jonathan



Howls fill the night as I dodge bushes and trees. The smaller wolf dogs brush against my fur as we run through the darkness. Retching sounds reach our ears as the low group of airport buildings comes into view. We slow down, half of the pack breaking off to flank around the other side of the hangar.



Outside the entrance, we encounter Paul's hunched form kneeling over a pool of blood in the snow.



"Oh God, Drew," he says between gulps of air. "Something tasted bad in her blood."



"Sorry, I made you do it. Must have been the silver bullet." The vamp shrugs, a bulging sack dripping vampire blood held in one hand. "Or some of the silver poison was still in her organs. I bet that shit takes a while to flush out completely."



"That makes sense," Paul replies while wiping his mouth, he leans against the corrugated metal. "I doubt we could have taken her in a fair fight."



"Speaking of which-how in the hell did you sneak up on her?"



I glance back at the dogs and dip my muzzle to convey my wishes to have them hang back. Sometimes I think they're smarter than people. I edge into the small circle of light from the safety lights and Paul jerks with a start. "Christ, is that one of the werewolf hunters?" he lurches to his feet, stumbles. "Don't let them touch the body, they'll get sick, too."



"No," Drew says while walking closer, examining me. "I think it's Jon." I cough and drop my head down and up. A smile splits his face and he moves as if to pet me. A low growl issues from my throat and the vampire steps back, hands out in a placating gesture. "Yeah," he laughs, "I'm pretty sure that's him."



Asa strolls out of the darkness, coming from deep within the hangar. "We left the windmills together, but once his pack joined us I gave them some space."



Paul clutches his middle and turns to hurl once more. Once the spasm stops, he wipes a hand across his bloody mouth and glares at Asa. "Dude, would it fucking kill you to knock or something? Scared the blood out of me, literally."



Asa pulls off his facemask and runs a hand over his shaven head. A smile splits his normal stern expression and he chuckles. "Do you mean to tell me you tried to drink her silver tainted blood? You're lucky all you're doing is puking."



"It's Drew's fault. He made me sound like the biggest pussy in the world if I didn't do it. 'Drink from her neck-be a true vampire.' Fucking prick."



Drew scrunches up his face. "I'm not apologizing twice. It was a mistake. Get over it."



Asa looks over at the wreckage on the right side of the hanger. "Damn, looks like I missed a good fight." He saunters over to the corpse and pats it down to find the camera. He lifts it up and angles it in the dim light to read the back. "One time being up in the Arctic has its advantages."



Drew steps closer to examine the camera. "What do you mean?"



"This camera can upload direct to the net." He smiles. "But not if there's no wi-fi signal." He ejects the memory card and destroys it on the spot, crushing it on the concrete beneath a boot heel. At Drew's raised eyebrow he says, "Not worth taking a chance."



"Weren't you curious to see the picture?"



"Why?" Asa stares at the older vampire intently. "So I could see Paul's head buried in the snow?"



"Nah, just saying."



Asa locks eyes with me and then looks back at Drew. "You weren't thinking about keeping it were you?"



It's apparent to me, by the expression on Drew's face, he didn't intend anything with his question, but he clearly understands where Asa is going with his assumptions. "Do I look like I have a death wish?"



Asa relaxes and the two start to push the plane back into the building. I head to the bathroom in the far corner, transform out of my wolf form, grab a set of clean, mechanics' overalls and slip them on. The physical intensity of the change keeps the worst of the cold away, but it won't last for long.



I pad barefoot back to the garage opening to see the dogs standing at the ready, far away from Paul and his pool of regurgitated blood. Ten sets of eyes wait for my command. "Home," I say, following it with a loud clap of my hands. The half-breeds race off, playful yips filling the air as they disappear. They'll make their way back to my cabin and their heated kennels in no time.



Drew's voice comes from behind me. "Should we burn the heart here or burn it back at the inn?" Paul begins to retch again at the mention, while I stifle a laugh and reach for a rolled up mound of dirty fabric on a shelf.



Asa shakes his head at Paul's poor luck and grabs one end of my bundle. "There's a great spot near the pool wing. I used it for the others."



"Yeah," I say while we spread out the old, oily tarp. "The fire pit is nice. Too bad you undead bastards never get to use it in the summer." I roll the body up and a slight pain shoots through my healing side.



"What do Vivian and Rafe do during that time of year?" Drew asks.



"The three of us, and maybe a few of the other employees, usually go to a tiny island they own off the southern tip of Argentina. It's winter down there then."



"'Usually?' Not this year?" Drew asks.



Pain and joy war for dominance in my middle, showing my conflictions over the new plan I discussed with Rafe earlier. "Most years the resort closes, and the employees do what they want. Some leave and visit with their families... others enjoy hunting the big game that migrates north." Not willing to risk a tear internally, I motion to the vampire to pick up the body before I turn for the door. "You grab her and I'll drive, okay?" I call back over my shoulder, expecting the others to follow.



A shuffling and murmur of voices trail behind me. I smack the "down" button on the wall as I walk past. The metal door starts its slow descent as Asa hustles past me to dump the tarp in the back of a nearby four-door pickup.



I throw open the squealing door and climb behind the wheel. Paul looks a little shaky still and Drew and Asa stand outside the truck while he tries to pull himself together. They don't seem to know what to say to him. "You bloodsuckers coming or you plan on sitting with you thumbs up your asses all damn day?"



The three climb in, Paul still looking a little green. I start the engine and shut off the vents so we aren't blasted with frigid air. We drive away from the air strip in silence, the headlights illuminating our way over the rough, but plowed, narrow road.



Overall, the general good vibe of surviving the ninja permeates the atmosphere of the truck cab. Weakened though she may have been, we all walked away-what more could anyone ask?



"You still didn't answer my question," Drew reminds me.



Excitement bubbles under my breastbone as a steel hand clamps around my heart. "Rafe suggested I stay here this season and keep the inn open."



"Open to whom?" Asa asks. "It's not like vampires will be coming up here when the sun shines 24/7."



"No, but werewolves and other supernatural critters will."



Paul shoots forward and grabs my shoulder, "Pull ov-"



I slam on the breaks before he even finishes his sentence. He thumps into the back of the passenger side seat and shoots me a glare. Cracking open the door, the chef leans out and spews.



"Push his ass out," I say.



Asa looks at me in the rearview mirror. "Don't you think that's a little harsh?"



"You feel like cleaning poisoned vampire blood out of the floor mats and upholstery?"



With one shove, Asa sends Paul flying to the snow-covered pavement below. "Sorry, man." A yelp reaches us as he pulls the door shut.



"Wait." Drew says as I start to pull away. "He can ride in the bed of the truck." He powers down his window and calls back to the pissed-off vampire. "Climb in the back, Paul."



"Next to the body?" he says while scrambling his way over the truck's side. "You guys are gems. Let me tell you."



Drew closes his window to muffle the angry litany Paul shouts between retching.



I grin at some of the colorful insults he throws at his seethe-mates, "Am I understanding things right-Paul dealt the killing blow?"



Drew shakes his head. "I'm still not sure how he did it. He bumbled his first attack and then I never saw him again. I honestly thought he'd fled."



From the backseat, Asa clears his throat. "Could he have been there and you just didn't see him?"



"You mean like an illusion?" I ask.



Silence fills the cab, none of us wanting to answer the obvious question. I continue back to the main building, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Rafe approached me about his summer idea while Dria tracked Emiko. In hindsight, she should have killed the woman in the woods, when she had the chance.



The elaborate setup fooled us all. They knew we'd check out the rogue independently the moment she arrived. They must have planted the evidence to lead us down a trap of our own making.



I shake my head while pulling into the wide circular drive. Every light is on in the inn and the twinkle of the twisted blown-glass chandelier can be seen through the transom above the door. People mill about in the oversized foyer. A few partiers can be seen hanging over the third floor railing, dressed in leather and showing a lot of flesh.



I turn off the engine and let out a sigh. "Do any of us know what the story is regarding Coraline? Is she in there thinking Asa and Drew killed Emiko or what?"



"Vivian would have told us if she changed the plan, right?" Concern colors Drew's tone.



"Let me call them," Asa says, "and report what's happened."



I snort and look at him in the mirror. "Probably should have done that back at the air strip." I pull the release handle to open the pickup's door, and the screech sounds like a whisper compared to the blaring classic rock coming from the building. Asa stays in the cab while Drew and I lean together against the driver's side fender.



Paul falls over the edge of the truck bed. "Whoo! I missed the party last time. Glad I'll get to be at this one."



I laugh. "Dude, you're so fucked. You really think Vivian wants you puking on her wood floors and antique rugs?" I shake my head at his bewildered expression.



Drew pushes off the side of the truck. "I'll take him round the kitchen entrance to the basement."



"Noooo...." Paul yells while running hellbent into the dark, away from the pursuing Drew.



"You really think you can outrun me, Paul?" Drew calls, humor ringing out in his tone. "Think this through, man." He leans down to scoop up some snow and sends it sailing after Paul's head. "We can't go in looking like this-we're both covered in blood and you reek of vomit."



I shake my head and glance back toward the inn, catching sight of one of Romeo's werewolves, Spike, through the window. He's the one with the penchant for wearing black and staring at me. One slender hip leans on a windowsill as his heavy-lidded gaze watches me through the glass.



A slight shimmer encases him for a moment and an athletic looking woman in men's clothes with long, mahogany hair cascading past her shoulders winks at me. I straighten away from the door and wonder at what in the hell I'm seeing. In a flash, the form of the woman is gone and Spike smiles quick and winks before turning his back on me.



"What the fuck was that?"



Asa's door creaks open and he slides out. "You talking to me?"



Confusion, hope, and despair run amok through my mind. Did I imagine he was a woman because I'm drawn to him? Is something else going on?



"Jon?" Asa pushes my shoulder. "You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."



A nervous laugh escapes me. "Nah. How crazy would that sound?"



"Come on, man. Let's get inside. I've had enough of the cold to last me for days."



Uncomfortable in party settings, and not ready to face Rafe and Dria's coziness or awkward attempts to pretend there's nothing wrong between us, I shake my head. "You go ahead. Someone's got to take care of burning the heart." With that, I grab the soggy bag he tossed in the truck bed and head around the right side of the building, taking the long way to the fire pit in the stone garden.



I plan on getting rip-roaring drunk tonight and indulging in some self-pleasure. I've got to get this freaky shit out of my head.