The malice there is almost imperceptible, and I suck in a breath, suddenly afraid. Not because I’m expecting the elf to use his weapon against Rafa in some sneaky surprise attack, but because I’ve heard supernatural rules can get very specific and weird. The terms of the pact between them have been finalized, and if Rafa claims more now, it could all be void. Or he could even wind up owing the elf something.
I’m about to say something—or at least try to—but it turns out I didn’t have to worry. Rafa smiles, just as wise to what’s being pulled. “Nice try. I already have what I need. Take your blade and go.Now.”
The elf heaves himself up without another sound, sheaths his weapon, and gives me one last cold, venomous glare, so I know, no matter what he’s agreed to, this isn’t over between us. He then lurches off into the night, barely staying upright, like a drunk on the losing end of a brawl. Rafa watches him go, his back to me. The Monster Hunter is as tall and unmoving as a pillar of marble.
The moment the elf is out of sight, though, he holsters his shotgun in its back scabbard, wheels around, and falls to one knee. His fingers rush to my face, then freeze and recoil inches away, like any touch might break me. He looks anguished and much, much younger than the iron-willed action hero who had just sent a fae warrior packing, let alone the smoldering stud who less than an hour ago was trying to make his way up to my apartment.
“God. What did hedoto you?!”
Huh. Maybe he really does like me.
And I might look like roadkill right now, but he’s still as beefy and underwear-model handsome as ever. Same rugged, golden skin. Perfect cheekbones. Big muscles. And he’s just inches from me now. My gut tightens, sure that my hunger is going to target him, that it will reach out its tendrils to try to control him, and then he’llknow.
But it doesn’t.
The need isn’t gone. I can still feel it. But the monster inside seems more pensive, morepatientthan before. I’m using anger to hold off the Obligation, so maybe it works on the hunger, too? Or maybe it’s because I’ve healed enough—at least enough to get my wits back—that I’m not going into any more debt?
One or both of those could be true, but the most likely explanation is that it knows this Hunter could kill me without a second thought. And in the end, if there’s one thing the monster wants, it’s tolive.
Speaking of which, why didn’t Rafa kill the elf? Based on my mother’s stories, I thought Monster Hunters wanted to killallparanormals.
“You let him go…” I rasp out.
It hurts to talk, but a quick run of my tongue along the inside of my mouth reassures me I didn’t lose any teeth against the steering wheel. So, that’s a win. The cut on my lip feels like it’s closed, too.
Rafa’s eyes slide to the side and he frowns. “I did. The fae are… complicated. They can choose to do good. Like people. And I don’t kill people, if I don’t have to.” He returns his gaze to me, uncertain. “You think I made a mistake?”
If we’re talking tactics against an immortal warrior unlikely to ever let go of a murderous grudge, then yeah, it could absolutely come back to bite him in the ass. (Or, more probably,myass.) Not to mention that it seems like a very un–Monster Hunter way of seeing the paranormal world.
But in terms of my overall opinion of the man, I sure won’t count it against him.
“I think you did the right thing, Rafa. And you saved me. Again.” I try to smile, to make light of this heavy moment. “My hero.” My barely healed split lip has other ideas. “Ow.”
He quickly scans me from head to toe and goes back to being the gruff badass. “We need to get you to a hospital. Right now.”
Hospital.Uff. An obviously good idea—and an ultimately verybadidea. (Mom taught me to avoid doctors like the plague. You never know if there’s some way it could lead to the government discovering what I really am!)
I extend my arms and rotate my wrists. They’re achey but not bad. I twist my neck left and right, stretching it a bit each way, while ignoring Rafa’s protests not to move my spine. Things are stiff, but there’s nosharppain. And no headache or blurriness, so it looks like I escaped a concussion. I press my fingers gingerly against my cheekbones and then touch my nose. A little tender, but if anything was broken before, it’s not now. Even the lip bite feels like it’s days healed.
I gently push the Monster Hunter out of the way with my left arm and get to my feet outside the car. I’mdefinitely not 100%, but it looks like what was left of my incubus powers got me close enough.
“I’m a bit banged up, but it’s not too bad. I think I just need, like, a shower or something.” I take a few tentative steps forward.
His eyebrows raise at that, but he steps aside. He continues to hover alongside me as I walk a few paces from the car, his fingers extended just beyond his hips, ready to catch me if I outright collapse.
“That was a hell of a crash, Alvin. Yousureyou don’t need to see a doctor?”
I glare at him sidelong, and try to channel his terse, tough-guy tone. “Don’t like doctors.”
He nods, pursing his lips with manly empathy. “Okay. I can get that. But my clan might know someone, and I promise, they won’t be the type to ask any questions… you don’t want to answer.”
I wonder for a hot moment if he’s figured out what I am. Itwasa bad crash, and I’m just walking away from it. That’s not a very human thing to do, is it? He let the elf go. Could he know and actually be cool with me being a paranormal? It wouldn’t make any sense for him to set me up for a trap after just saving me, right?
Either way, I can’t risk getting mixed up with even more paranormal killers. I scowl at him, hiding fear behind anger. “No doctors!”
His focus on me shifts from concern to the edge of suspicion. Am I protesting too much? I stop and slouch a little, trying to appear a bit more hurt, morehumanthan I am. Not hard, really, since it doesn’t feel like I have any more incubus juice.
But I’m no actor. I need to change the subject, fast.
