Hunting the Hunter (Second in Lone Wolf series)

Chapter Eleven

Brendon felt rage fill him. Every hunting instinct he had both been born with and had forced down his throat for the last three hundred years roared to life.

Protecting the innocent. Helping the helpless. That was what he did. That was what he’d been born to do.

“Put the child down.” he ordered, his voice cold and angry. All pretenses of his light carefree nature were gone. He was only Brendon the Hunter now.

“Oh but she tastes so good.” Warren countered as he licked at his fang.

“Put her down. This is the last time I’ll ask.”

“Was that asking?” Warren inquired with a grin. “I thought I killed you last night.”

“I’m tougher than I look.” Brendon replied. Warren nodded and shifted Maggie in his arms.

“Ella knew this would happen. This is her fault.” he said tilting his head toward the unconscious girl. Brendon could smell the poison in her veins. She didn’t have much longer to live. Brendon had to get her away from Warren and apply the anti-venom to her bites or she would die.

“How did you know?” Ella whispered and Warren threw his head back and laughed. The sound was somehow eerie and menacing in the cramped, dark basement.

“I have friends, Ella dear. Friends that keep an eye on my most prized possession when I am away.” Warren’s expression darkened. “I smell it now. I was too enraged by your attack on me to smell it before. It seems you’ve found your life mate, my dear. It is just a shame that you will both die before you ever get to know each other.”

Brendon had heard enough talk. Talk was cheap and overrated and he had always hated that part about the bad immortals that he hunted. Whether they were mortal men, women, vampires, werewolves, demons, elves… It seemed that all the bad ones liked to hear themselves speak and therefore thought that everyone else wanted to listen to their mouths spouting out horse shit as well.

Without saying a word, Brendon lowered his head and ran for Warren. The vampire hissed as Brendon dove and rammed into his legs, tackling the vampire to the ground.

Maggie went flying through the air but Brendon wasn’t worried, he knew that Ella was already on the move. She had thrown open the unlocked cell door and caught the little girl long before she hit the floor.

Brendon jumped away from Warren, slid the jar of anti-venom from his pocket and turned toward Ella.

“Here!” he called out. She looked up from Maggie’s prone form, now unwrapped from the blanket. The girl was pale and barely breathing. Long pauses coming between her light heartbeats. Brendon could not focus on that now.

He tossed Ella the anti-venom and she snatched it out of midair. Brendon didn’t take the time to see what Ella did next because his attention was drawn back to Warren as the vampire slowly got back to his feet, his face contorted with rage.

“I’ve had all that I can stand of you. That Council thinks they have the right to dictate how we should live? Why don’t they get off their asses and come do something about it if they have a problem?” Brendon pulled his bowie knife and grinned.

“Because they have me.” he replied and then he lunged for Warren. Warren hissed and leapt, meeting him in mid air.

They crashed into one another, Brendon’s knife sinking deep into Warren’s stomach as Warren’s claws raked across Brendon’s chest and arms. Brendon’s attack was stronger than Warren’s and sent them both crashing into the stairs that Warren had just come down.