The Human Hunter

Chapter 16

Salem squirmed in Goliath's arms when they finally entered the building, making the kin stop long enough for Emma to hurry forward and take her little brother. She wanted to carry him but knew that when he got tired or stressed that he preferred to walk. When she set him down on his feet, then took his hand, his eyes actually wandered to Widow. Her brother smiled up at him after a few moments, making Widow give a quiet chuckle and a half smile in return.

"Follow us," Legs said as him and Goliath headed for an elevator in the back of the lavish lobby, past the bank of three closer to the entrance.

The floors were tiled with different shades of dark gold and the furniture dotting the sitting areas to the left and right were black and red. Intricately crafted iron and glass coffee tables were the focal points, and if Emma wasn't so stressed and actually cared about such things any longer, she would have complimented the decorating. As it were, she was beyond exhausted and ready to find a pillow.

Unlikely to happen anytime soon.

They all stepped into the elevator, then turned to face the entrance as Goliath inserted a key beneath the buttons, then turned it before tapping the single button that lit up with the action. With a faint jerk the elevator responded after closing its doors, then they were heading up.

When the doors opened with a faint chime a minute later, Legs guided them off the elevator onto a surprisingly normal looking floor that appeared to be just like one normally seen in a hotel, minus the carpeted hallways and tacky wallpaper. They followed him into the first room on the left, which he opened with a keycard he slid from his pant's pocket.

Emma was the last one inside, and what she saw had all of the exhaustion and stress of the past week come rushing back twofold, making her eyelids feel like they were weighed down with rocks. Those beds look like heaven. Without even thinking about it she began moving toward them, only to stop when she caught sight of her reflection in the large mirror above the two sinks across the room.

I look like a trainwreck.

She considered taking a shower, but noticed Legs moving to a small dresser that had a television perched on top of it. He opened a drawer and removed something, then turned to settle his gaze on Widow.

"Open your mouth please, Widow," he said as he walked forward, stopping right in front of the other kin as he tore open a small package that had Widow's eyes narrowing as he lifted his upper lip with a quiet growl.

Why does he need to open his mouth?

"This is the Congregation that Goliath and I work for. Surprisingly, I do trust you, to a point," Legs said, then looked at Goliath with a raised eyebrow.

"But there are rules," Goliath continued, taking over.

"You're from a rouge colony. You won't be trusted by many kin here, so it's safest for both you, and everyone around you, that your fangs are capped for now," He said.

Widow's growl deepened as he took a step away from them, making Emma frown. He might not have been very nice when they'd first met, but he had gotten better and better. She didn't think that he would hurt anyone in the building.

I can see why they might want to cap his fangs, though. He is venomous and his instincts haven't been the best. It must scare him to think about losing his most powerful weapon while in possible enemy territory, though.

"Let me at least tell you what is going on," Goliath said as he sat down on one of the corner's of the second bed. "Legs and I are somewhat in charge of this state's investigations when it comes to situations that can put kin in harm's way. Which basically means getting us discovered by humans. Many of us may have venom, or at least strength, speed, and webbing, but we are no match for guns. If we were discovered, our different colonies would be sought out and destroyed. Our families would be slaughtered because humans are afraid of what they don't understand... and they should be. Most of us don't want to deal with the loss of life that will likely come with discovery. That is why Legs and I were sent to the widow colony in the first place. He was there for several years, then I came in to assist as a guard so that we could draw information from two different areas, as most of the widow kin tend to not communicate outside of those they work closely with unless there is an auction going on."