New Age Werewolf Series Book 2: Hunter's Daughter, Alpha's Mate

Part 53: Fangs of Stony Man

By the time the sun was high, we had packed and were moving on to Stony Man Mountain. 

At first, we moved quickly, because we were trying to get as far as we could before the sun started to set. She jumped to high branches to look, she weaved through branches and trees with ease, making me feel a bit awkward since I am used to leading. So damned impressive. She barely needed help and was pushing along. I didn't have to slow for her. She may be little but she's tough as they come. I couldn't wait for this to be over, because I wanted the pack to know how proud I was of her. I loved her from head to toe and I'd do anything--

She turned back to look at me, her eyes glistening with tears.

I felt color rush to my cheeks. I didn't bar her from my thoughts, I didn't think to. I rolled my eyes at her, and she giggled. "What?" She rushed to me and threw her arms around me, looking up with the brightest smile. Her chin was in between my pecs, and I liked that. "I can't remember life before you, and I don't want to."

"I remember it," she frowned. "But it was surviving, existing, not living." She edged up, and kissed me. "We're going to get through this. We've gone through too much to let each other go, or to fail the pack."

"I do love you," I whispered. "I know I haven't said it aloud, but you know, don't you?"

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

We descended from the peak into the valley, and immediately started jogging once we hit level land. We ran deeper and deeper into the woods, to the point where the pre-winter sun wasn't helping as much as it should for the time of day.

We were running past so many beautiful scenes, but all we could do was glance at it, nod to each other in approval and keep going.

We were on an abandoned path, when the scent of death hit me. My stomach twisted with the knowledge of a fresh kill and also two--three--no, five vampires who caught our scent. They were coming behind us and coming fast. I looked to the skies. The days were shorter and the thick brush wasn't helping. I caught up to Lani.

"That's vampires, right?"

I nodded.

"Remember Hawksbill on the map?"

Here's where I had to take over. "Follow me!"

She didn't even argue. She just followed as we jumped on rock faces, treaded streams and jumped from tree to tree. I didn't have time to tell her that they were tracking our scents, our warm blood and that only younger vampires lose a scent, but mostly because they are so bloodthirsty that they only close in on spilled blood.

"Stop!"

She stopped and turned, looking up at me when I caught up.

We got to a higher point where we weren't shielded by the trees. On the tree edge, we could see pairs of yellow eyes blinking at us.

"We may have to fight."

"Okay."

I blinked at her. She didn't seem to care. She dropped her pack and spread out stakes.

"Where did you get those?"

"Armory," she shrugged. "Besides, trees all over the estate." She pulled a crossbow out and started assembling it. "Can you shoot a crossbow?"

"Yeah."

"Good." She handed one to me, and pulled the second, which looked a little smaller. "Hi, baby." She greeted it.

Goddess, she owned a crossbow? "What is in  your bag?" I asked, now a bit shocked.

"I've got the crossbows, you've got the tent," she answered, not looking at me. "Otherwise we've got the same stuff. I think you might have more bullets than me for your gun, though."

We got to a higher point where we weren't shielded by the trees. On the tree edge, we could see pairs of yellow eyes blinking at us. I put my crossbow down, and set it on my foot. I looked to Lani.

"Like hell." She kept her crossbow aimed, starting and stopping at each one to let them know she had already located them.

I rolled my eyes. "We do not want to fight!" I called down to them. "We are passing through!"

"This is our territory, you know that!" someone called back.

"Yes, and we only ask for time to leave the territory, we do not intend to stay!"

"If you do not wish to fight, then why does your mate have a weapon pointed at us?!"

"What is your answer?" The vampire's question hung in the air between us.

"They know who we are?"

Lani's whispered question started me thinking. I looked out there. The vamps were all pretty young, maybe even newborns. I knew some of the leaders; I had to in order to forge territory agreements. I used my wolf vision. I didn't know any of them. This reeked of a setup.