Page 14 of The Huntress

She banged around her room. A whisper of fabric and the soft fall of her footsteps came before she returned with a brush in her hand.

“Yoursiresaid the future was in the canister. What’s inside? Canyouat least give me a straight answer?” She ran the bristles through her locks in slow, practiced strokes.

Leo shifted his attention to her gray tights and baggy T-shirt, baring a smooth shoulder. She was beautiful. He wondered if Valerie had the same features. He sucked in a deep breath, catching their combined scents.

“He didn’t sire me, and his name is Sylvester. The canister holds some sort of chemical.”

“Shit. A weapon?”

Great. I assumed it contained a chemical. No wonder I couldn’t shake it. I sure hope I haven’t allowed a maniac full access to a biochemical weapon—capable of untold violence. Perhaps even catastrophic? I would so lose my badge over that.

He chuckled, for once reading her thoughts before the gates to her mind sealed shut. He slid the brush out of her hand to run it through her locks, his hand stroking behind the brush’s path. “It’s not a weapon. Why would we jeopardize our harvest?”

“Good point.” Her shoulders slumped, exhaustion pounding at her, tightening her shoulders.

“I smell Valerie on you again,” he said.

“I saw her earlier withSylvester. Do you smell the chemo medication on her? She used to smell like strawberries on a rainy day.”

“I’m sorry, Callista.” Leo handed her the brush.

She shrugged, but it was stiff, revealing her anger, vulnerability, helplessness. Using his other senses was incredible, not relying on his telepathy for every assessment. Although, he suspected the novelty of it would wear thin.

“The cancer’s killing her. You know, she’s tempted to throw herself in with your stupid suck-fests. I can’t blame her if she does. I’m not ready…to lose her now.”

“We all have to die, Callista.” He winced as he said it, wishing he could console her in some way.

“Says the ancient vampire?” She stepped away from him. “You can call me Callie. Planning on staying long, or are you done stalking me?”

“Stalking?”

“You’re in my apartment without invitation, and you’ve had me investigated. You could’ve just asked, Leo.” She stomped to her kitchen, slamming cupboards as she searched for something. “You’re probably the reason yourSylvesterfound me at Val’s. Did I thank you for that?”

“You took his canister, Callie.” Leo gripped the counter, slowing his heartbeat to listen in on her thoughts…nothing. Her mind remained sealed. Was she aware she could do this?

“Now it’s my fault your asshat king is having clandestine meetings in my neighborhood? Shit, you suckbloods sure are arrogant.”

“Suckbloods?” His lips twitched, and before he could stop himself, he chuckled. “What’s wrong with the wordvampire?” he asked, a smile lingering in his voice. He allowed it—for once not having to guard every reaction or expression he made.

“Vampires are so sexy. Like, I’ve-gotta-bag-me-one-of-those-totes-hot babes,” Callie said, mimicking a schoolgirl’s speech patterns. “I’ve seen your kind kill, hunt, and feed, Leo, as I’ve seen my kind do the same…Well, maybe not the blood drinking. But who knows? Weird things happen all the time.” She opened a new bottle of scotch and poured a healthy portion into a chipped coffee mug before downing it. “I’m tired, disappointed, and overall miserable, so if there’s a point to you being here…can you get to it?”

“How do you resist my pheromones?”

“That’s the question you’re here to ask me? I guess I should be happy you’re not here to kill me.” She placed the mug in the sink and stashed the closed bottle in a cupboard she hadn’t found it in. “I just can. They say officers have undergone extensive training since the Great Reveal, but that’s bullshit. We can’t resist your kind. They hypnotize us into believing we can. Such arrogance. Many on our force have died under that misapprehension.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “You know this how?”

“Val and I don’t do well with hypnotism. Found out during her college days. I faked the going under part when it came to my turn. Wasn’t hard.”

“What were you doing on the ledge?”

She grimaced. “I snuck into the Duhamel’s ball to investigate a few men. Thanks for covering for me. The next day, Captain chewed me out for taking you to the floor. Sorry about that. Oh, and I may have implied…just a little, that you touched me indecently. Oops.” She headed for her front door, unbolted, then opened it, her expectation clear.

Leo grinned, pleased by her behavior and indifference to him. He couldn’t recall the last time a woman had kicked him out. This was a new experience, and it felt human, as if life-giving blood pumped through his veins. Or it was the way she treated him, like he was a person and didn’t fear him.

“Very well, Callie. I bid you goodnight.” He strolled through the door and turned at the threshold to meet her tired-eye gaze.

“Night will do. There wasn’t anything good about it.” She slammed the door in his face.

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