Page 33 of Kendrick

“I don’t know much about Kudlaks.” There was a hint of fear in Ryan’s tone of voice, which was a good thing.

Kendrickwantedhim to be afraid of Kudlaks. He wanted him to be afraid to go on hunts and get hurt, because that would mean he’d never go. Kendrick understood how ironic that was since he’d been a hunter for almost a decade, but he wanted a better life for his brother. Ryan had the kind of support Kendrick hadn’t had until after he met the hunters. He could be happy without running around stabbing Kudlaks.

Kendrick idly listened to the conversation between Jonas and Ryan. They jumped from topic to topic, sometimes so quicklythat Kendrick had a hard time keeping up. He stopped listening to them around the time Jonas started describing the way some guys hit on him when he worked at the bar. There were stories Kendrick didn’t want to hear.

He didn’t care what Jonas’s life had been like before they met. He didn’t care how many partners Jonas had been with, either. Jonas was decades older than Kendrick, and Kendrick hadn’t expected him to be celibate until he met his mate. He might never have met him, and Jonas had too much love to keep to himself.

Something flashed in the corner of Kendrick’s eye. He slammed on the brakes, but a figure had appeared in the middle of the road, effectively cutting them off—or rather, effectively putting themselves into the path of the car. Kendrick tried to steer, but the man didn’t move. Instead, he stared right at Kendrick as the car barreled toward him.

* * * *

Jonas slammed forward, briefly thankful that he was wearing his seatbelt. If he hadn’t been, he would’ve been thrown through the windshield, which wouldn’t be a great experience.

Not that whatever was happening was a great experience, either. He’d been talking with Ryan and having fun, and he hadn’t expected to almost die in the process. He certainly hadn’t expected someone to step onto the road in front of the car like an idiot. Who the fuck did that?

Clearly, the man standing in front of the car. Kendrick managed to stop it, and as soon as it wasn’t moving, he turned to check on Ryan. Jonas did the same, relieved to see that while Ryan was wide-eyed and pale, the seatbelt had worked on him, too, and he was safe. Ryan quickly unhooked it and leaned forward to stick his head between his knees.

“Everyone okay?” Kendrick asked.

“I am, but this asshole won’t be soon,” Jonas said with a growl. “What the fuck was he thinking?”

He unhooked his seatbelt and reached for the door, but Kendrick grabbed his arm. “Don’t you think it’s a little strange?”

“What’s strange?”

“The guy is still standing there. It’s like he’s waiting for something.”

“He’s waiting for my fist on his nose,” Jonas grumbled.

Kendrick was right, though. The guy had stepped in the middle of the road and hadn’t moved or freaked out, not even when Kendrick had almost hit him. No one in their right mind did that, and if they did, they certainly didn’t stick around to see what would happen next. The guy was still there, though, and when Jonas took a better look at him, he felt the hair all over his body rise.

It was still fairly early in the morning, and since it was December, the sun wasn’t that strong. They’d been driving on a road that was framed in tall trees, making the light even softer.

The light didn’t really matter anyway, not for older Kudlaks. They got used to the feeling of the sun, and eventually they could attack during the day, too. It was rare to see, because most Kudlaks died young, but Jonas couldn’t deny what was right in front of him.

“That’s a Kudlak,” he declared.

Kendrick sucked in a breath. “You’re sure?”

“Pretty sure. It’s my job to identify them, remember?”

“You’re not a hunter.”

“It doesn’t mean I don’t know how to hunt. When I have to, I do, and right now, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to.”

The back door on Ryan’s side suddenly flew open. Ryan screamed as someone grabbed him and dragged him out. Jonas had been hesitant because he didn’t want to have to fight, but there was no hesitation as he pushed open his door and steppedout, rushing toward Ryan. A second Kudlak had a hand around his throat and was pressing him against a tree. Ryan’s feet weren’t touching the ground, and his face was already turning purple. The Kudlak didn’t seem to care. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and Jonas looked tiny next to him, but that wouldn’t stop him.

Before he could reach Ryan, the Kudlak leaned forward and buried his face against Ryan’s neck. Ryan screamed again, and this time, the sound was so raw and full of fear that Jonas didn’t have to guess to know what was happening.

He wasn’t sure how, but Kendrick got to his brother first. He slammed into the Kudlak’s back, then pulled him off Ryan, who fell to the ground. Jonas started to move toward him, but a voice stopped him in his tracks.

“So, you’re one of the new Harpers.”

Jonas sucked in a breath. He was terrified, but he wouldn’t let the Kudlak see it. He couldn’t help but wonder how many more there were hiding between the trees, but he hoped never to find out because if he did, it would mean he was in trouble.

“Who are you?”

The vampire seemed amused. “Should I be offended that Rowan hasn’t told you about me? I’ve been hunting his clan for decades, and I’m only missing two members. I thought maybe Rowan would be in the car, but unfortunately, I was wrong. Can you tell me which clan you belonged to before? Maybe I can still finish one of my sets.”

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