Page 40 of The Secret of Pain

"I always do." He winks at me before bumping fists with Creek and leaving.

"Well, hurricane Colt has officially left the building." I try to keep things light, considering what nearly happened before Colt barged in. I don’t really know how I feel about it yet, so I’m really hoping he doesn’t bring it up.

Please let the fates be on my side with this one.

Woah… what the… Fates? Where did that come from? Weird as fuck.

This mind meld thing is insane.

"That he has. You hungry? Ready for that picnic?" Creek asks with a small smile.

Relieved that he’s not going to comment on before, I nod. "I sure am. I just need to clean up."

"Use the bathroom on the next floor. The water is all still running, might be cold, but it’s there," he says to me. "I'll get this stuff put away and then we'll head back down to the truck."

"Sounds good, and thank you for today. I needed this. Just something normal." I hug him tightly.

"Anytime, Remy. If you ever need to escape just say the word, and we'll run away, however far and for however long you need."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The feeling as I strap the swords across my back and fasten the gun holsters to my thighs is exhilarating. It just feels… right. As I take a look at myself in the mirror, I can’t help but laugh. I knew my love of leather would have its time, and that time is most definitely here and now. My black crop top and leather under-boob waistcoat shows my midriff just enough that the tattoo on my hip is on show where it peeks up over the top of my ripped, black skinny jeans, the fishnets under them also peeking through.

I pull on my chunky heeled boots that I found in a sale years ago to complete the look.

I almost look as badass as everyone’s been telling me I am.

My mark has started to creep round my shoulder and down my arm, and having looked at the pictures Colt sent me, I have no idea what it’s building to, but I can't help but love it. The Hunter’s mark is topped with the mark of Leviathan, a crown, with one single drop of blood hanging from it, but the unknown part are the vines that seem to grow from the base of my Hunter’s mark. The thorned vines that grow over my shoulder and down my arm, interspersed with symbols, some from the altar that I recognize, others that no one seems to know what they are.

I'd be worried, but it hasn’t caused me any harm up to this point, so I have no reason to fear it. Especially with the Leviathan mark, I know it’s a protection of some sort, I just wish I remembered how I got it and why.

"Are you about ready?" Creek calls out from the main room of my apartment.

"Nearly!" I shout as I grab the cloak Dad gave me this morning. Apparently, it’s been mine since my first life. Made of a material discovered by the Hunters, almost impenetrable, yet supple and soft.

It's matte black to help me hide in the shadows, and honestly, it kind of makes me feel like a badass. I slip it on and lift the hood, which paints my face in shadow without restricting my vision in the slightest. This might be my new favorite thing other than my swords. Well, not new, but yeah. I drop the hood back and take one last look at my badass self in my mirror. Walking back out to the main room of my apartment I find Creek and Colt sitting on my couch, football on, eating my pretzels.

"Just make yourself at home, why don't you?" I laugh, shaking my head. "And here I was thinking you guys wanted me to rush."

They both turn to look at me, Colt with a stupid grin on his face, mouth full of pretzels, looking like a dork, but Creek… His eyes darken with heat as he takes me in, inch by inch. Goosebumps cover my arms as he basically undresses me with his gaze, but I shake it off. Creek is my best friend. That isn't a line to cross. If we haven't before now, it’s definitely not a line I'm going to take a run at. Maybe when we were younger, but now, with all things considered, it just doesn't seem like a good idea.

Right?

I bite my lip as Colt turns back around and elbows Creek.

"You ready?" he asks, and Creek grunts at him. "Let’s head out then."

"Where are we going?" I ask, because my swords aren't exactly inconspicuous, and while maybe a hundred years ago no one would think twice about the sight of them, in this world, people are definitely going to look at us sideways.

"We're just doing a patrol of the abandoned warehouse blocks a few towns over, tonight. Nothing too extreme for your first hunt," Creek tells me, and I roll my eyes.

"So much for the fun of the hunt."

"There's plenty of time for that, and this still needs to be done. We've found more than a few rogues in similar places since we've been back. It’s as if the Lycans and Dracul have been drawn to this place in the last few months, and no one seems to know why, but activity is definitely up."

"Oh, okay then. Well, after you guys I guess." I grab my phone and keys from the counter and slip them in my back pocket, not like I can carry a bag with all of this gear on.

I follow them out of the apartment and down to the waiting truck. Colt climbs in the driver’s seat, so I assume it’s his truck, and Creek climbs in the back with me. We drive in silence, the anticipation in the air building, and I can feel the adrenaline flooding me. We leave the city lights behind us as we head down the dark, quiet roads to wherever it is we're going.

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