Compromised Vampire Slayer Ch. 05 (Patreon)

August 11, 2020

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> CHAPTER 5 <

“Hey, want to grab some lunch while we’re out?” Jayce asked his partner.

The grumpy middle-aged man shrugged in the passenger’s seat. “Sure, why not?”

Jayce glanced back at me, his bright blue eyes sympathetic. “You want anything, sweetheart?”

I glared at him. I was definitely not in the mood. “Call me sweetheart again and you’ll regret it,” I snapped. “And unless you want to buy me a juicy steak, then no.”

Surprisingly the older man barked out a laugh. “She’s not so bad after all. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a ‘pretty little thing’ bite your head off.”

Jayce wasn’t even fazed. If anything, I felt like my poor temperament made him like me more. Either way, he let it go as he pulled into a fast-food restaurant. I was surprised when we parked, but didn’t comment on it. The drive-thru lane was almost completely empty.

The place was right off the road with a massive parking lot and a strip mall behind it. Being only around 10 AM on a weekday, it wasn’t very busy. Yet seeing the stores and the few people walking around made me realize how strange it was to be in the real world again after the last few days. All the horrible things that had happened to me felt like a nightmare now, and all the good things felt like a dream I wish I hadn’t woken up from.

The older cop hopped out, leaving myself alone with Jayce in the cruiser. I was glad there was a metal grate separating us. I didn’t really trust the guy, especially knowing he was a werewolf. Granted, if he was as strong as Tristan, then really it was the random strangers occasionally passing by who I had to thank for making sure that grate stayed in place.

“No drive-thru?” I wondered.

Jayce twisted in his seat to look back at me. “Nope. We usually don’t use it. Too easy for people to tamper with our food.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t thought about that.

“So it’s only been two days, huh?”

“What?” I said, completely confused.

“Since he bit you,” Jayce clarified.

“Oh.” I paused. “He told you?”

“Of course. Your body is pretty unstable the first couple of weeks, especially the first few days, which can make you really dangerous if you aren’t careful. I’ll do my best to remind you to stay calm, but you need to do your part too. If you get frustrated, you can’t hit anyone or else they’ll throw you in jail.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “If only they knew,” I commented, referring to the fact that technically I had committed crimes recently.

He raised his eyebrows at me, but didn’t comment. I then realized this wasn’t a great time for me to admit I’d killed anyone recently. Or two people. His tone was filled with amusement as he continued. “That first transformation’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

I nodded sharply. “Second time wasn’t so bad.”

Unexpectedly, his expression got intense. “Second time?” he snapped.

My eyes narrowed as I took in his expression. He didn’t look angry. Just extremely serious. “Yeah,” I said cautiously, repeating myself more slowly. “The second time wasn’t so bad.”

Should I not have told him that? Honestly, I had no idea what I was allowed to share with this guy. I realized I should probably treat him like an outsider and tell him as little as possible. I didn’t need another reason for Rowan to be pissed and want to kill me.

“Are you fucking with me right now?” he demanded.

Should I tell him I was joking? No, he probably wouldn’t believe me if I changed my story now. “No. Is that bad?” I asked seriously.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment as he evaluated me. “More like…impossible.”

My eyes widened in shock. “Impossible? Why?”

He thought about it for a moment, only to not answer my question. “Do you mean you just got a little furry?” he tried clarifying.

I shook my head. Now I was super curious. “No. It was like the first time. Or rather…” I paused, debating if I should really tell him. “Actually, it was a lot more than the first time. I stood up on two legs and was probably over twelve feet tall.”

The look of absolute shock on his face was unnerving. “Twelve feet?!” he exclaimed. “Does Tristan know?!”

“Of course, he…” Wait. Did he know? He never actually saw me transformed. Only Raelynn had. “I mean, he was there at least, after I returned to normal.”

“But he doesn’t know, does he?” Jayce pressed.

“I guess maybe not,” I admitted. “But why does it matter?”

“Because if you get pissed and literally rip someone’s head off, explaining that is going to be difficult enough. But if you do it while you’re a twelve-foot tall werewolf, then that is a problem. A huge problem. This is definitely not a great time for you to be around people. Especially not when the slightest annoyance could set you off and make you lose control.”

“Oh.” Made sense. “I’ll keep my temper under control.”

“Can you?” he asked seriously. “Because I have never heard of a new werewolf transforming again for at least a month. And standing up on two legs? Most never even attempt it, because it’s too painful the first time.”

“Well, I was heavily motivated,” I admitted. In that moment when Raelynn was in danger, I would have done anything to protect her, and by extension, protect Tristan.

“You must have been,” he agreed. “Someone must have really pissed you the hell off.”

“You have no idea,” I muttered. I then decided to change subjects before he pressed for details. “Can you stand up on two legs?” I wondered curiously.

He rubbed his neck uncomfortably. “Well, no. I’ve never had a reason to try.” When I nodded indifferently, he quickly continued. “But I’m definitely going to do it now. Like hell am I going to let your pretty little ass show me up.”

I glared at him. “This pretty little ass is going to thrust her claws into your chest and rip out your heart if you make one more comment like that,” I snapped.

He laughed. “I doubt you have it in you.”

My expression darkened. “I’ve done worse. A lot worse.”

“Damn, that’s hot.”

“You realize this metal grate between us means nothing right? There’s literally nothing stopping me from coming through it to rip your throat out.”

He grinned. “Other than a city full of witnesses of course.”

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and leaned back more in my seat, looking out the window. “I’m only two days old, remember? Don’t provoke me, because I might be stupid enough to do it.”

“Okay, okay. You’re right. Sorry, because it really would be easy for you to lose control of yourself right now.” He paused when I nodded. “But then, can I ask you a serious question before my partner gets back?”

“Sure,” I offered, silently hoping I could really make it through this without losing it on someone.

“Will you consider being my mate?”

My head jerked back in his direction as I gawked at him in disbelief. “What part of ‘I don’t date’ didn’t you understand back at the mansion?”

“I’m not asking to date you,” he clarified. “I’m asking if you’ll be my mate.”

I stared, still in shock. “Surely, you’re not asking me to be your Luna?”

His eyes widened. “Oh, I didn’t realize you knew what it was called. But yeah, that’s exactly what I’m asking.”

“But you don’t even know me,” I hissed.

He shrugged. “I’ve seen enough.”

“No,” I said firmly. No matter how handsome this guy was, I knew a man-whore when I saw one. This guy was the exact opposite of Tristan. The kind of guy who probably had one-night stands all the time. The kind of guy who didn’t commit. Even if making me his Luna was a permanent thing, that probably wasn’t going to stop him from cheating. All it would do is tie me down to someone who I couldn’t escape. Someone who I would probably want to escape eventually.

“Tristan already ask you?” he assumed.

“I asked him,” I lied.

“Oh really?” Sarcasm laced his tone. It was obvious he didn’t believe me.

“And he agreed,” I added.

“I’m sure he did,” he muttered under his breath.

“You know, honestly, I’m surprised you don’t already have one.”

He hesitated before responding. “It’s hard to find female werewolves who are willing,” he admitted.

“Why?” I asked seriously. Was there something I didn’t know?

“Well, because it’s very permanent.”

“Yeah, I gathered that much. So what’s the problem?”

He shrugged. “I guess maybe it makes them feel trapped. Girls talk about wanting a serious commitment because they want to feel like you won’t just walk away. However, they still want to be able to walk away. Throw something at them where the guy can’t walk away, and they’ll gladly take it. However, throw something at them where the girl can’t walk away either and suddenly they aren’t so into commitments anymore. It’s a serious double-standard if you ask me.”

My eyes narrowed. “You realize you’re talking to a girl, right?”

Jayce grinned. “Yeah, but I can tell you’re not like most of them. Or do you disagree?”

Really, I felt like his assessment was fair for at least some girls. Definitely the type he probably dated. Not me though. I sighed heavily. “I guess maybe you’re right, to an extent. But then why not just bite a girl you like?”

His expression darkened. “Let’s just say that I’m honestly really, really, surprised you’d consider being Tristan’s mate after he bit you.”

“What?” I said breathlessly. “Why?”

“You remember how painful it was, right? Now imagine spending every agonizing moment focusing on the person who was responsible for that pain. Most people end up despising whoever bit them, even if they don’t mind being a werewolf afterward. It’s like the pain conditions them to hate that individual.”

“Oh.” I supposed now I understood why Tristan’s wife had been human. But why didn’t I loathe him? I supposed it was because I knew he was protecting me. That and I usually didn’t hold grudges against people unless I felt like they really deserved it. I also didn’t blame others for problems that I felt were inherently my own doing.

I wrapped my arms around myself tightly as I remembered the horrible experience. “Honestly,” I whispered. “All I could do the entire time was just wish he would hold me. It was miserable being alone, but not for one second did I hate him for biting me.”

Jayce sighed heavily. “And that’s why I want you to be my Luna,” he commented.

“I’m taken,” I retorted.

“I can see that,” he agreed. He then muttered under his breath. “Lucky bastard.”

We were both quiet for a moment, with me looking back out the window, before I spoke up again. “Hey Jayce, is it normal for it to take him this long?”

Jayce sat up straighter. “Oh.” He hesitated. “No, it’s not.”

“Actually,” I began hesitantly. “I’ve seen people go in, but I haven’t noticed anyone come out at all.”

“Shit,” he exclaimed underneath his breath. “I think you’re right.”

He paused for a moment, squinting as if trying to see into the tinted windows of the building. Then, in a flash, he bent down as if he were going to grab something off the floor, ducking out of sight, only to get on his radio. I felt all my muscles tense when he requested for backup for a potential hostage situation.

Being around people was bad enough, but being around potentially hostile criminals?

This was the last place I needed to be right now.

“I can’t be here for this,” I said seriously.

He looked back at me to evaluate my expression. He knew I wasn’t being a coward. If something happened to provoke me, like getting shot by a regular bullet, then I might end up running around as a twelve-foot tall monster killing everything in sight.

And it’s not like it would be my fault. There had already been several times when I’d felt like I was about to lose control, not to mention that was basically what happened when I saved Raelynn. Only difference then was my frenzied mind was focused – aimed.

I had a particular enemy. A particular goal that was overpowering. But now? Dozens of people might be dead before I regained control of myself.

Jayce turned back around and pulled out his phone. He paused while it rang. I gasped when I heard a familiar voice answer. Jayce immediately explained where we were, before adding, “I need you to pick up Autumn immediately. We ran into a situation.”

“Is she okay?” Tristan snapped on the other end. I was surprised I could hear his voice so clearly even though it wasn’t on speakerphone. I could even hear his footsteps as he took off into a run.

“Yes, she’s fine,” Jayce reassured him. “But apparently she’s already shifted a second time.”

“I was a little surprised too,” Tristan admitted. “I probably should have mentioned that.”

“Did you also know she stood up?” he wondered seriously.

Tristan was silent for a moment, I suspected from shock. “S-She did?” he said in disbelief.

“Twelve feet.” Jayce sounded amused again.

“Fuck,” Tristan exclaimed under his breath. I could hear the sound of a car engine starting, followed by wheels squealing.

Jayce laughed at his reaction, glancing back at me. For a moment, I was confused about why he was being so animated considering the situation, but then I realized he was trying to appear as if he was having a pleasant conversation with a friend in case someone on the inside of the building was watching him. “She’s definitely a keeper. Better hurry on over before I make her my Luna before you get the chance.”

I heard Tristan make a low hiss, which wasn’t what I was expecting. I figured he’d scoff or something. Instead, he seemed pissed. “Don’t make me kill you, Jayce.”

“Ouch,” he replied with a grin. “All that over some girl?”

“She’s my girl,” Tristan retorted.

“I don’t know, man. She’s seems kind of into me.”

“Jayce,” I said in a warning tone. “I will kill you.”

Apparently Tristan heard me, because he laughed unexpectedly. “I’ll be there soon, Autumn.”

I sat up straighter. “Is it weird if I admit that I really miss you?” I wondered seriously.

Tristan sounded amused. “Not at all. I miss you as well.”

“Alright you two,” Jayce chimed in. “You’re going to make me gag.” Tristan began speaking again, but Jayce abruptly cut him off. “Shit,” he hissed.

“What’s wrong?” Tristan demanded.

I quickly followed Jayce’s gaze to see for myself. A young blonde girl in her early twenties was coming out of the building, which might have been a good sign except for the fact that she was looking directly at us with a panicked expression. Her eyes were wide, and her body was trembling slightly as she clutched a small piece of paper in her hands at her waist.

Jayce spoke in a rush before hanging up the phone. “Hurry. It’s a hostage situation, and it looks like they sent someone out to deliver a message. I’ll try to leave Autumn in the car, but we might both end up inside depending on what they want.”

I gasped as I realized I might be dragged into this situation after all. Shit, this was not good.

Jayce stuck the phone in his pocket and rolled down his window, pulling off a warm smile. I was a little impressed by his acting skills. “Hello ma’am, can I help you?”

She handed him the note with trembling fingers, which he accepted and read silently. “Shit,” he said under his breath.

Keeping his hands mostly in view, he opened the door and stepped out. He then undid his belt around his waist and dropped it in the seat, along with his holstered gun. As he closed the door and began walking toward the building, I heard the woman’s muffled voice. “Didn’t you read what it said?! She has to come too!” she hissed in a panic.

Jayce hesitated, considering the situation. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about,” he replied.

The woman gawked at him in disbelief, before she began becoming hysterical. “They’re going to shoot my baby!” she exclaimed way to loudly. “She has to come!”

I watched him sigh heavily before coming around to open my door. He spoke in a low voice. “No matter what, stay calm.”

“I’ll do my best,” I muttered. My stomach was already in knots though. Part of me just wanted to make a run for it, but then that made me wonder if they’d arrest me later for getting everyone inside killed. Either way, I felt like there was no way in hell this was ending well for anyone. Shit, I should have just demanded a steak after all so we would have ended up somewhere different.

The universe must really hate me.

Jayce politely opened the door to the building for the two of us, and followed in close behind. I was shocked to see that it was completely empty inside. It was only when I saw the man standing behind the counter with a gun that I realized everyone was being kept in the kitchen area.

So it was just one person then – that wasn’t too bad. He looked sickly, like he was just skin and bones. His complexion was extremely pale and the scruff on his face indicated he probably hadn’t shaved in at least a week. The look in his eyes screamed crazy.

Unexpectedly, my mouth started watering when I caught a strong whiff of fresh blood. Shit, that meant he’d probably already shot someone. I felt a bone in my hand pop uncontrollably, prompting Jayce to quietly hiss behind me in warning.

The man took one look at Jayce, who was slightly buffer than Tristan, and immediately pointed his gun at him, stepping around the counter as he did so. “Lock the door,” he snapped in a raspy voice.

Jayce held up his hands, before turning around to comply.

“Behind the counter,” he snapped again, keeping the gun pointed at the person who he considered to be the greatest threat. “Have a seat on the floor with the others.”

Jayce passed us, and then the woman and I filed after him with her in between. I half expected Jayce to grab the gun from the perp in a flash, but the guy seemed to be extremely wary of the blonde cop, backing up almost ten feet to maintain a large distance between them. I knew a regular bullet wouldn’t stop my new werewolf friend, but the problem was the witnesses. If they saw him get shot, it would be impossible to explain why he didn’t have a bullet wound.

My hand popped again as the scent of blood strengthened. Jayce stopped just behind the counter when he saw the source, but otherwise he barely reacted – it was his partner, dead.

As I looked at the older cop’s body, rounding the corner myself, I saw that he had been shot in the shoulder but had already bled out. The bullet must have hit a major artery or something, because the pool of blood was massive.

My wrist popped.

To the right was a cluster of roughly ten people, along with a very motherly black woman holding a white baby. The girl who had come out to get us rushed past Jayce to sit down, but she didn’t attempt to pry the infant from the other woman’s arms because he had fallen asleep. I suspected our psychotic perp wouldn’t appreciate a crying baby.

I heard the girl whisper, “Thank you,” to the woman, who in turn gave her a gentle nod in response.

At the very rear of the kitchen was a backdoor, along with a younger guy’s body lying dead right next to it. His clothing indicated he was one of the employees who had probably tried to make a dash to escape.

“Keep moving,” the perp barked.

Jayce complied immediately, trying to step around the pool of blood. I quickly tried to follow after him only to freeze when thin fingers wrapped around my arm and something hard pressed into the back of my head. “Not you, honey. You stay right here.”

Dammit! I should have just made a run for it after all! Why did I ever think this would go smoothly?!

Jayce spun on his heels so fast he was almost a blur. “I wouldn’t recommend that,” he said firmly to the perp.

The guy shoved his gun toward the cop. “Mind your own damn business! Now sit the hell down before I shoot your ass too!”

Had I been thinking clearly, I might have used the opportunity to grab his gun. However, in that moment my aggression was already spiking, and I was decisively not thinking clearly. My blood was boiling and my skin was on fire.

Jayce started backing up, holding his hands in the air. “Stay calm,” he said firmly. It was obvious the perp thought Jayce was speaking to him. Only the two of us knew he was speaking to me. I glared at him, trying not to think about the nasty hand on my arm.

It had never occurred to me what my eyes looked like when I began transforming, but I suspected they were doing something weird now, because everyone watching the situation suddenly looked terrified. Everyone’s eyes noticeably widened in shock, focused in horror on my face.

Now that Jayce was far enough away, the gun reappeared on the back of my head again. I relaxed a little when the hand disappeared from my arm, knowing in the back of my mind that I needed to try to regain control of myself before it was too late.

But I should have known better, and it was already too late. Suddenly his hand grabbed my butt roughly.

His mistake.

I whipped around in a flash, reaching out with just one finger as my one-inch claw sliced through his throat like a hot knife through butter. In the same motion, someone else’s hand reached around me and shoved the perp away with enough force to toss him through the air ten feet. I was already trying to go after him, wanting desperately to rip out his heart, when a pair of strong arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace.

“Calm down!” Jayce hissed in my ear.

It was too late for that though. I roared a deep bestial growl as my body quickly became covered in fur. The sound of the man's gurgling and the scent of the blood gushing out of his throat was urging me on.

“Autumn! Stop!” he ordered.

I shoved my ass into his groin while simultaneously shoving my elbows away from my body, almost breaking out of his grasp, prompting him to yell again.

“Stop! You can’t leave evidence behind! Tristan’s coming to get you! Just stop! Focus on him!”

I roared one last time before forcing my body to lock down. I began panting heavily in his arms as I tried to focus my mind, condensation forming in the air from my breath as if it was freezing inside. But I almost felt like I was locked behind a door within my head, viewing everything through a small window. My mind was crazed with violent needs.

But the man holding me was right. I couldn’t leave evidence behind. If I tore this man apart, then they’d know something supernatural happened here. At least this way we could say someone slit his throat with a knife or something. But explaining how his heart got ripped out? Or his limbs got torn off? Or why there was nothing left of him except chunks of meat?

As my body returned to normal and I relaxed, Jayce finally let me go and rushed over to grab the perp’s gun. “Damn you’re strong,” he mumbled under his breath.

I ignored him, reaching back to grab the edge of the counter behind me, trying to keep myself in place. He then rushed by me at the same time that I recalled most fast-food joints had cameras. I looked up at the ceiling to see that the one pointed at the cash register had already been destroyed. I sighed in relief.

Unexpectedly, earsplitting gunshots echoed loudly in my ears, followed immediately by screaming. I whipped around in shock, seeing Jayce meticulously begin shooting each hostage in the head.

Oh shit! We had witnesses! And I’d just gotten them all killed!

I stared in disbelief as the multitude of screams died down to only two. He had saved the girl with her baby for last. He paused then, holding the gun up at her. She was still sitting on the floor, with her shrieking infant in one arm and her hand stretched out defensively in the universal stop gesture.

“Please don’t!” she pleaded. “Don’t hurt my baby!”

Jayce’s voice was disturbingly gentle as he replied. “Does that boy have a good father?” he wondered. She shook her head, prompting him to continue. “What about your mother? Is she alive and well?”

“Yes,” she squeaked.

His expression darkened. “Then I’ll leave your baby alive. He’s too young to remember anything.”

“Please don’t kill me!” she pleaded again. “I won’t say anything!”

He hesitated, before pulling the trigger.

It clicked, and nothing happened. He was out of bullets. In a flash, he flipped the gun in his hand and smacked her hard in the side of the head with the handle. So hard that I heard her neck snap.

Her body slumped over, the baby sliding out of her arms, continuing to cry as it squirmed around on the floor. I knew she was dead, because she didn’t take another breath. She just laid there limp, her eyes open and glazed over.

My entire body began shaking as Jayce quickly walked back up to me.

“Autumn, look at me,” he said gently. I met his blue gaze only to see how serious he looked now. “You need to focus. This isn’t over yet.”

The sound of sirens in the distance helped shift my mindset. I took a shaky breath and nodded once sharply. This was all my reality now. I was a monster, and part of being a monster meant protecting that secret, no matter what. It meant doing horrible things, to protect that secret.

Jayce obviously didn’t want to kill them. He was a cop for heaven’s sake! His job was to protect people! And he wouldn’t have had to kill them if I wasn’t here to mess things up.

But I’d been here, I’d lost control because I was a brand-new unstable werewolf, and he didn’t have a choice. And now, neither did I.

“Okay, here’s the story,” he began. “Listen closely. You were never here for this. Tristan already picked you up. I walked in alone to find that everyone was dead except for that woman and her baby. He killed her with a blow to the head, prompting me to grab a knife and kill him. I’ll take care of setting up the evidence.” He paused to look me over. “Good. You don’t have any blood on you. Now, I want you to go out the backdoor and just casually walk away. Don’t rush. Act as normal as possible. Go into one of the stores in the area, any of them, and just walk around like you’re shopping. Tristan will be able to catch your scent eventually and find you. Now go.”

He grabbed my shoulder for emphasis and gave me a light shove. I quickly rushed toward the back, stepping over the young guy’s body before opening the door and rushing outside.

The sirens were a lot louder now that the building wasn’t muffling the noise. The closest one was on the opposite side of the fast-food restaurant. However, as I began crossing the parking lot, I realized there was a siren coming from the right side of the strip mall too.

I glanced down at my clothes to double check that I really didn’t have blood on me. That’s when I realized I did have some blood on my index finger. I rapidly stuck it in my mouth to lick it off, unexpectedly drooling from the taste.

Damn. Human blood was delicious.

A police cruiser pulled into the parking lot on my right, prompting me to shove my hand in my pocket and begin fumbling for keys that weren’t there. My pockets were far too small to really pull the gesture off, but I hoped no one would bother paying too close attention.

I changed my direction slightly and started heading toward the nearest vehicle, pretending like it was mine. The cruiser was coming straight for me, making me panic. I acted like I had grasped my keys successfully in my pocket and looked straight ahead at my destination.

This was my…big ass truck…and I was going to get right in it and drive off.

Just as I reached the monstrosity that only a man would own, the cruiser flew right past me prompting me to almost fall over in relief.

Shit, that was too close.

I knew it probably really wasn’t that close, but it sure as hell felt like it. In reality, they probably didn’t even bother noticing me, thinking the hostage situation was actively going on. A random person strolling around shouldn’t be involved no matter what direction they were walking.

I hesitated by the truck for a moment to make sure they were heading to the right place before taking off toward the shops again. As far as I was concerned, Tristan couldn’t find me soon enough.

Of course, I knew I needed to just walk around one of the stores. However, when other people began pausing to watch the growing activity at the fast-food restaurant, I realized I could get away with waiting outside for Tristan. For all they knew, I was just stopping to watch too. Not to mention, waiting for a ride wasn’t that unusual either.

When a black car pulled up, I was overjoyed and relieved to see his face through the open window. I walked right up and opened the door to jump in. He took off without a word.

“Did you catch my scent?” I wondered hesitantly, trying to evaluate his reserved expression.

He shook his head. “No, I actually just happened to see you.” He gave me a weak smile. “You’re so attractive that you stick out like a sore thumb.”

I blushed and looked down. But something was off. His compliment was genuine, but he didn’t seem very happy. “I’m sorry for messing up,” I whispered.

He shrugged. “Even I didn’t catch your slip at first. Honestly, that older officer was probably the only one who did.”

“Do you think Rowan will be upset?” I asked quietly.

He didn’t answer, his expression hard now.

I gasped. “He didn’t already ask you to kill me, did he?”

He shook his head again. “No. This isn’t the kind of thing I’d wake him up for. He doesn’t know yet.”

“Why do you look so stressed then?” I wondered.

He sighed heavily. “Because I don’t know what to do,” he admitted. “It was one thing when you were in police custody, but now you’ve spent some time alone without supervision. If I make you my Luna now, then it might still alleviate that problem, but I don’t know for sure. And if Rowan does decide he wants you dead, then…” He slouched in his seat, looking defeated.

“It’ll be really hard to kill me,” I guessed.

He nodded once sharply.

I reached over and gently rested my hand on his shoulder. “You still have that hunter’s gun, right?” I whispered.

He looked at me in surprise, before nodding again.

“Then make me your Luna,” I said firmly. “And if you have to kill me, then shoot me in the head with a silver bullet. It’ll be easier than the alternatives.” I didn’t even want to think about the alternatives. I doubted I was very easy to kill now by normal means, which meant Tristan would probably have to exert a lot of effort to do so.

He shook his head in defeat. “How can you even talk about this like that? How can you even want to be my Luna? My mate?”

“Because…” I hesitated and looked away, my eyes suddenly wide. I immediately pulled my hand away from his shoulder and hid my face.

“What is it?” he asked in surprise.

I bit my lip and tried to force it out. “Because…I think I love you.”

No, I did love him. And I loved Raelynn. I wasn’t sure how I could have developed these feelings for them so quickly, but I had literally taken a bullet for her. For him. And I would do it again gladly to protect them, even if Tristan had to be the one to pull the trigger.

I knew I was crazy. My feelings were unhealthy. My thoughts were psychotic. But I couldn’t seem to help it.

I wasn’t sure what kind of response I was expecting, but it wasn’t complete silence. I finally peeked through my fingers to look at him, only to be shocked to see he was crying.

I gasped, pulling my hands away, unable to believe what I was witnessing. Yet the wet streaks on his face and the pained expression in his eyes was unmistakable. Shit, why was he crying?

My eyes began to sting too. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

He shook his head quickly, and reached up to wipe his face. “I don’t deserve you,” he replied quietly.

“Oh.” I wasn’t expecting that. “So then, is it okay that I love you?” I wondered hesitantly.

He sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “To me, a man is supposed to protect the woman. He’s supposed to die for her – be willing to take a bullet for her. And yet you’re the one doing all those things, putting your life on the line for us. Only to potentially be rewarded with a silver bullet to the head. It’s disgraceful to me. To anyone. Shameful.” He looked at me then, his tone more intense. “I should be protecting you.”

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. I needed to be brave for them, because we didn’t live in that ideal world he was referring to. I quickly shook my head. “You need to protect your daughter, not me. You spared my life and protected me from being tormented by Rowan. It’s the least I can do.”

“I should have just let you go,” he groaned. “I should have just walked you straight outside and told you to leave. I could have said I fired you for sneaking around at night.”

“But you didn’t know I wouldn’t snitch,” I retorted. “For all you knew, I’d show up with more hunters.”

He sighed again, knowing I was right. He had made the best decisions he could have made at the time.

“Make me your Luna,” I said again. “Hopefully, it will be enough. And if it’s not then at least we did our best to make it work.”

He shook his head again in disbelief. “Okay,” he finally agreed. “We’ll do it when we get back, and then after we wake up for the night you can go find that other female hunter to try to deal with that situation.” He glanced at me. “If you’re willing to take responsibility for the outcome, then it might help convince Rowan.”

I paused as I considered what he was saying. “You mean, if Serenity doesn’t give up when I tell her I have the situation handled, then I should be the one to kill her?”

He glanced at me again. “Rowan won’t want her dead. But at the very least you’ll be expected to rough her up a little before he gets his hands on her. Maybe traumatize her some.”

I sat back in my seat as I processed that. I really liked Serenity. I was a lot closer to her than I had been with Nate, though I still kept myself somewhat distant from most people. But now I was in a situation where the best-case scenario was that I would hopefully never see her again, and the worst-case was that I would have to torture her myself.

After a moment, I sighed heavily. “Okay,” I said simply, knowing there really wasn’t a choice.

Chapter 6 >>