Tamed: A Huntress Spin-off Novel (20 page)

Travel to the waterfall where no one will hear your screams…come alone or your father dies. - Andie

I shut my eyes and crumpled the note. I felt sick to my stomach. My breathing grew heavier as panic began to take over. I held my chest, feeling it tighten as tears spilled from my eyes. Andie had my dad. It was my fault. She took him because she wanted my blood. Then it dawned on me: if she had my dad then she could have killed…No!

I opened the door and ran inside. “Ms. Charlotte!”

The house was a disaster. The furniture was overturned, and glass and blood covered the floor. There was a trail of blood leading to the living area. I followed it, hesitantly and with caution, fearful of what was to come. Ms. Charlotte was lying on the floor with a puddle of blood surrounding her body as the flat screen television laid on top of her head. All of the blood drained from my face from the sight of her. A life lost because of me. A mother lost. What would I tell her son? How could I even begin to explain to my father that he lost her to a blood-hungry immortal?”

I moved toward her, and with shaky hands and weak knees, I lifted the television from her head, gasping at the sight of the gash in her throat. Her skin was pale white and her eyes wide open. I quickly turned my head as vomit spilled from my mouth. Running my hand through my hair, I gasped for breath as tears slid down my face.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen,” I cried.

I shook my head and stood on my shaking legs, wiping my nose as I made my way upstairs. I couldn’t tell Taylor. I knew how he was. He would insist on going even if she advised that I come alone. This was my father, and I wasn’t going to ruin his chances of making it out of this alive because I didn’t follow orders. Her whole master plan was to drink me dry, and I hoped that, in the end, she would be satisfied with my blood and not go after my father when she claimed my life.

I entered my room, quickly taking off my skirt and bathing suit before going into my closet. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a band tee and quickly threw them on. I didn’t want to waste any more time. I didn’t know how long she had been waiting already. I hoped that she wouldn’t grow impatient and end his life. I slipped on my converse and threw my hair up in a ponytail. I may not have been a hunter or an immortal warrior, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight. Andie had pissed me off big time. You don’t hold my father captive and threaten his life. Oh no, not happening. My chances of survival were slim, but I would be sure to drive my dagger through that monstrous heart of hers before then.

I pressed my finger against the point of the blade. “You’re mine,” I said through clenched teeth.

I placed the dagger in the back of my pants and left the house, aware that I was walking to my death.

Chapter Seventeen

My nerves were shot and my legs wanted so much to give in, but I pushed forward as I walked through the woods. I was afraid of what was to come. Would I suffer a slow, painful death? I hoped not. Maybe I would hit my head on something and pass out, then I wouldn’t even realize I was dead until I floated farther away from my body. I hoped so.

I shook my head and exhaled. I couldn’t help but to think that this was karma coming to get me. I killed my best friend, and now my other best friend was going to kill me…funny how things work out. Hearing yet another noise behind me, my breath hitched and my heart leapt into my gut as I spun around. My fingers were itching for the dagger that pressed against the small of my back. I looked around, finding no one in sight. It was probably just an animal. I moved forward and breathed in the woodsy air, smelling the rain that had yet to come as I took my time appreciating and admiring my surroundings, as it would be the last time I would ever see the beauty of nature that filled my sights. I then heard the rushing of water from the waterfall as I grew near my destination. I took deep breaths and tried not to panic as much.

I saw them straight ahead. My father knelt in the dirt with his hands bound behind his back and his head bowed. With her hands fisted at her side, Andie paced back and forth, impatiently waiting for my arrival. Her clothes were soaked in blood…Ms. Charlotte’s blood. I could see the deep, nasty scars from Silas’ claws that covered her cheek. As her eyes shifted over to me approaching, a smile grew on her face, satisfied that her plan was working.

I looked down at my dad, resisting the urge to run to him in fear that she would attack me way sooner than I would like. Blood dripped from his head and mouth and into the soil below.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up. Poor daddy would have paid for that.”

“Let him go right now. I’m here alone, I followed your orders, now you follow mine and free my dad.”

I placed my hand behind my back, gripping the dagger just in case she surprised me with any sudden moves toward me.

She glared at me. “What do you have there? Is it your flask? Sorry, honey, but alcohol doesn’t burn these eyes.”

“Paige…run,” my dad said, breathless and tired as he could barely get the words out.

“Shut up!” Andie yelled.

She kicked my dad in the head and he fell forward, knocked unconscious. I gasped, anger stirring within. I wanted to rip her head off her shoulders.

“Don’t touch him!”

She laughed. “And what are you going to do about it,
bestie?
”

I took out the dagger. “I’m going to stab that pretty little heart of yours and fry it. Enjoy being electrocuted.”

“The only thing I’m going to enjoy is feeling your blood slide down my throat.”

She hissed and flew at me. My hand tightened around the dagger as I thrusted its sharp blade at her, feeling it slide into her stomach as she yelped. She quickly grabbed my neck and threw me back as I hit the ground hard, my head connecting with the earth’s hard surface as it momentarily blurred my vision and the back of my head began to ache.

Andie gasped, letting out a growl as she carefully removed the dagger from her stomach. “Stupid, stupid, girl.”

With her being preoccupied, I was able to get to my feet. She lunged at me and I brought my knee up, hitting her in her stomach, connecting with her bleeding wound, and she tensed up. It was sensitive; otherwise, I wouldn’t have hurt her. I took a step back, balling my fist, ready to drive it right into her stomach when she swung the dagger and I gasped as the point ripped my skin, slicing my chest open. I felt a firm hand grip my arm and I was jerked backward. With his bat like wings and sharp, long claws, Silas had come to my rescue once again.

I fell to my knees and took my shirt off, applying pressure to my stinging, bleeding wound.

Andie let out a growl of frustration. “I’m getting really sick of you,” she said to Silas.

Andie thrusted the dagger at him, and he jumped back, grasping her wrist and twisting her arm, forcing her to release the weapon. She then rammed her head into his. He stumbled back, both of them wincing, momentarily recovering from the ache of the hit. He came back for more, swinging his claws through the air, hoping to get a piece of her, but she blocked each attack that came her way, her agility matching his perfectly. As he was about to swing once more, she thrusted her foot in his stomach, and as he bent over, gasping and winded from the hit, she gripped his hair. With her fangs bared, she came down, ready to bite through his head.

My heart just about stopped. “No!” I screamed, tears flooding my eyes instantly.

She then gasped, her eyes widening as blood spilled from her mouth and she fell back on the ground. Silas turned with her heart in his hand, slowing down with every beat it took. He had ripped her heart out of her chest.

With his razor sharp teeth bared and his face like stone, he set his wrath on me. My stomach knotted as trepidation rushed through my veins. He looked like an evil demon from hell, and he was pissed.

His eyes heated with fury as he slammed the heart on the ground. “Why would you come here alone?” he screamed, his voice filled with rage.

With wide, fearful eyes, I stared back at him. His anger did nothing but scare me, and seeing his temperament firsthand, it would be wise to not push him any further. I said nothing at all.

He finally exhaled and shut his eyes, pushing back the rage. His jaw locked as a grunt rose from his throat. His horns, wings, claws, and teeth slowly slid inside of his body, hiding the demon within. When he opened his eyes, they showed no sign of the fiery red that once was, and I was relieved.

“You do realize I can’t die that way, right?” He came toward me, holding his hand out for me to take. I hesitated. He could be pretty scary at times. “I won’t bite, I promise.”

I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet. I quickly gripped his arms as my dizziness grew.

“Am I gonna have to carry you out of here as well?”

“I’m fine. I forgot you can’t die that way. I can’t stand seeing you get hurt.”

His mouth raised into a smile and his face warmed.

I cringed. I shouldn’t have said that, not now that I knew I was going to have to let him down. Hopefully, he could settle for friendship.

“How did you know where I was?”

“I’m bonded with you. I can feel when you’re in distress. For the last time, I’m not a stalker, woman.”

“Bonded?”

“When an incubus sets their sights on someone, they can bond themselves with that person through a kiss or sex. We kissed. You accepted me. We’re bonded.”

I quickly looked away, feeling a weight settle in my heart. I was dreading telling him. “Oh...I still think you’re a stalker.”

He went over to my father and picked him up. “And you’re an idiot. Looks like we both have problems.”

“And how am I an idiot?”

His brows rose, as if he couldn’t believe I was actually asking that question. “How are you not? You go off into the woods alone to save your father with just a dagger that she could have easily taken from you. Did you actually think she would have let him live after she fed off you? You should’ve told your brother. He would’ve set up a plan to trick her and save you both. He’s a hunter. He’s smart, and he knows what he’s doing when it comes to vampires. You certainly wouldn’t have that cut on your chest if you did.”

“I didn’t want to risk his life. If she suspected that something was up, she would’ve kill him without hesitation. Besides, you showed up to save the day.”

“Don’t I always, and where is Eli when you need him?”

“Eli doesn’t follow me everywhere, stalker.”

“Bonded!”

I smirked. “Yeah, yeah.”

He snickered.

“Okay, you get on my back.”

“What? Why?”

“You’re bleeding, and he’s bleeding and passed out. I can get you home faster without you losing too much blood.”

He turned around so that I could jump on.

“Your wings aren’t going to pop out and knock me off, right?”

He chuckled. “Only if I make them come out.”

I jumped on his back and wrapped my legs around him.

He turned his head to look at me with that seductive, sexy smile of his. “I like your legs around me.”

I couldn’t help but to smile as I rolled my eyes. “So does Eli. Now focus and get me home.”

With a look of hurt on his face, he gasped. “You’re so cruel.”

He took off running through the woods. I clung to his back, feeling the push of the wind pull me back as everything around me became nothing but a blur.

Shortly after traveling home, my father had come to and completely freaked out, forcing us to stop. He was so frantic and lost and couldn’t remember a thing, which was a relief. I had no idea how I would’ve even begun to explain the supernatural world, and how Taylor and I were a part of it.

My dad’s heavy arm was wrapped around my shoulder as he leaned on Silas with his head bowed. He tried to keep his eyes from closing, but looked too tired to do so. Home wasn’t that far away now as we traveled down the road. I kept a close eye on him. I was beginning to worry. A vampire’s kick can be lethal to a human.

“Are you okay, Dad?”

“My head is pounding.”

“We’re almost there,” I said.

We walked up the driveway, practically carrying my father as his feet dragged on the ground.

“It would’ve been easier if he had just let me carry him. Awkward or not to have another guy carrying you, he’s not well enough to be walking,” Silas said.

“He’ll be fine, though, right? He’ll be just fine.”

I think I was more so trying to convince myself that it wasn’t anything major so that I wouldn’t panic.

Silas’ gaze found mine with confidence and sincerity in his eyes. “He’s going to be just fine.”

As we grew closer to the house, Eli and Athena were running at a rapid pace, coming toward us as their fierce blue eyes glowed. They then came to a stop in front of us.

“We found-” She stopped talking. It was as if she had been distracted.

They both looked down at the blood that came from my wound, and there was a hunger that grew in their eyes, tempting them to give in to their urge. Having two hybrids wanting my blood was a little unsettling, but I knew they wouldn’t hurt me. They looked away, shutting their eyes for a moment to gather themselves as they fought against their need to feed.

Athena cleared her throat. “We found the note. We were just about to come find you.”

As Eli reached out to grab me, Silas grabbed his arm. His eyes, cold and distant, began to turn red. “Don’t you even hurt her.”

He yanked his arm away from Silas’ hold. “Relax, demon, I would never hurt her. Can you say the same about yourself?”

Eli turned his attention to me with a scowl to his face. “I have to heal you.” There was an edge to his voice when he spoke. Something was wrong.

“I’ll take your father,” Athena said.

With her body tense, she relieved me of my father and helped take him to the house.

“I won’t lose control.”

“I know.”

He leaned down and ran his tongue over my cut, and I winced as my wound burned, spreading throughout my chest from the contact. His saliva gradually relieved the burn as my skin sealed shut.

He wiped the blood from his mouth then growled as pain filled his face and his eyes screwed shut. “Get a grip,” he whispered to himself.

“Do I need to walk away?”

“No, you’re fine. I haven’t fed yet. The taste of your blood is making my body ache.” He exhaled. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you?”

“I’m fine,” he snapped. He turned to walk away then stopped and faced me once more. “No, I’m not fine. I’m mad at you. You should have called me, not run out in the woods by yourself to face a blood-crazed vampire.”

“I had the dagger Taylor gave me. Isn’t that why I have it, to protect myself?”

“Screw that dagger. You only made it out alive because of Silas. That dagger doesn’t make you superwoman, Paige.”

“Fine, Eli.”

I went to walk past him, and his hand pressed against my stomach, pushing me back.

“I thought I was going into the woods to find you dead, not to save you. Can you even imagine how that made me feel?”

“Yes, I can, actually…I’ve had plenty of those moments.”

I walked past him, and he followed right behind me.

Taylor and Chelsea were with my dad, who was lying down on the step, and Silas distanced himself from the group as he stood far away with his body tense and his arms folded. Once Taylor saw me, relief flooded his face and he rushed over to me, his eyes like glass as he crushed me to his chest.

“I wouldn’t have let him die regardless of what that note said. You could’ve trusted me.”

And it was then, when I was in his arms, did everything truly sink in. Ms. Charlotte was dead, my dad was hurt, but alive, and I had been attacked by my best friend. I couldn’t ignore what I saw today, and no matter how hard I tried to push the thoughts that scared me aside, they still came rushing through my head. Tears flooded my eyes, and they flowed like a stream down my cheeks. As my chest shook, his arms tightened around me.