AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"That sound," he said, looking up at me with a frown. "You don't hear it?"
"I don't hear anything," I said, listening closer. If he were any of the other recruits, I would've thought he was messing with me, but he at least knew better than that.
He seemed about to say something else when he cried out in agony and clapped his hands over his ears. I watched in confusion as he collapsed, falling to his knees on the pavement.
"Eddie?" I called, about to reach for him when I sensed we weren’t alone. I spun around, drawing my cutlass just in time to see the two hunters in dark red uniforms leap down from the rooftop of the nearest building.
Eddie was still writhing on the ground as they walked toward us. I recognized the one immediately as Atticus, Arrow’s older brother, and while I didn't recognize the woman at his side, the insignia emblazoned on the left breast pocket of her jacket was that of a colonel, just a rank below him.
Shit. It was usually only the younger hunters with something to prove who were willing to fuck with us on missions. For the most part, we had a tentative truce with the others, at least with those who knew well enough to keep it. Atticus, however, was a wildcard. It seemed to run in the family.
"What did you do to him?" I demanded, putting myself between Eddie and the other hunters.
"Just a little dog whistle," Atticus said, giving me a malicious smile that was all too familiar. "I guess the rumors are true. You have yourself a pet."
I brandished my cutlass and put my hand on the holstered gun at my left hip. If it were anyone else, I would've shot first and asked questions later, but Atticus was the acting head of the Order in Mother Cerise’s stead, and even I wasn't prideful enough to think I could take him out easily. Certainly not while protecting Eddie from the other hunter in the process.
"My ‘pet’ is none of your concern," I said, knowing his aim was to get a rise out of me. It probably would've worked on Eddie, if he wasn't presently distracted by whatever the hell they were doing to him. I wasn't even sure what it was, but the fact that it was working even with the collar on was proof that more of his wolf nature was accessible to him than I thought. Unfortunately, that seemed to extend only to the vulnerabilities associated with it rather than the strengths.
"He hasn't shifted," Atticus said, his gaze traveling down to the writhing hunter, a glimmer of malevolent curiosity in his eyes that was all too familiar. Sadism ran in the family, too. "That's strange."
"Enough," I said through my teeth. "First the attack, and now this. Do you think there's no limit to our patience? Or have you forgotten the truce entirely?"
"You mean that little visit our first years paid to your compound?" he asked innocently. "I had nothing to do with that. It certainly wasn't sanctioned, but you know how children are."
"I suppose I thought the great Atticus Gray would have a better handle on his soldiers," I said pointedly.
His expression fell, the glint in his eyes taking on a dangerous edge. "You're one to talk. You think you can leash a rabid dog and have it fight for you without consequence? Although if you fools see nothing shameful about poisoning your own blood, that would be a natural extension."
"His blood is tainted with vampire energy," the other hunter added, her voice dripping with disgust as she looked down at Eddie.
Her eyes lit up strangely, as if reflecting some unseen light source. Was she psychic? The hunters of the Order were occasionally born with gifts they cultivated through their carefully guarded bloodlines, so she was probably the one doing that to Eddie. I was fairly confident I could take her out and disconnect his collar, but that would still leave the both of us against Atticus. Far from a fair fight, even if it was two on one. My best chance was a bluff, and fervent prayer.
I moved my hand away from my gun and slowly brought it up to the interior of my jacket, where I kept the remote to Eddie’s collar. Atticus and the hunter next to him flinched and reached for their weapons, pausing only when they saw the small remote control.
"Since you're so curious, here's his leash," I said, holding it up. "I push this button, and he shifts."
"A shifter?" Atticus asked dryly. "That's your threat?"
"A hybrid," I countered.
That word alone was enough to change the tone of his energy. He looked from me to Eddie, scrutinizing the incapacitated man with the first hint of wariness I had seen in him thus far during our encounter.
"You're lying," he finally said, even though he didn't seem sure.
"Shall we find out?" I challenged. "I've been holding off because the moment he shifts, the two halves become whole, and I think you're old enough to remember what happened the last time someone unleashed a hybrid on the streets."
Atticus’s eyes narrowed, and I could tell he was trying to decide whether or not to call my bluff. It really could have gone either way, but he finally held his hand up.
The other hunter looked warily at him. "But sir—"
"Enough," he barked.
She lowered her head and closed her eyes in resignation. The moment they shut, Eddie ceased thrashing, giving one last strangled gasp as he fully collapsed.
I only realized I had been holding my breath when I allowed myself to release it. Eddie was on his feet in an instant, but I put out my arm to stop him. The look of rage he was giving Atticus was a fresh reminder of exactly what the collar was holding back.
The truth was, I had no idea whether there was any validity to what I had threatened Atticus with or not. Despite my best attempts to take things gradually, Father Marius's insistence on further experimentation very well may have resulted in him becoming a hybrid after all. The truth was, we didn't know, and we were playing with fire. It was the one thing I could agree with Atticus on.
