Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
The hunter leader’s eyes narrowed at Tammy in an instant. He looked her up and down but not in a creepy way. He was determining how dangerous she was.
My best friend didn’t enjoy spending her time in the gym. On a scale of zero being not dangerous at all, to ten being as dangerous as the werewolf King, Tammy rated a negative one. The hunter leader must have come up with a similar score for Tammy because he grinned at her.
“You look different, hunter,” I said to draw his attention away from my best friend.
Tammy seemed to enjoy his attention because she sidestepped me and gawked at him shamelessly. The hunter leader nodded to his men, and they left the apartment or the office, whatever it was.
“I don’t always run wild in the forest, Princess Breanna,” he said and sat on the leather chair.
Tammy gazed at me and giggled, probably because the hunter had used my title. He kept his eyes on Tammy and gestured for us to sit on the opposite side of the wooden-topped desk.
“It’s rather expensive to recruit men for our operations and to pay them well.
Our money has transferred from leader to leader for generations.
Very similarly to the way your precious kind does it.
” He smiled as he emphasized the word “precious” to remind me how I had wrongly trusted the werewolves.
After witnessing the horrendous torture chambers in the dungeon where the secret passages were, I had to somewhat agree with the hunter. Werewolves weren’t as innocent as I’d first thought them to be, but I remained quiet.
“So who is your friend, Princess?”
The man couldn’t take his eyes off Tammy, and it didn’t help that she grinned back at him.
Although calmly sitting before us, he could snap at any time.
He was still half werewolf with primal, animalistic instincts.
I felt some supernatural presence from him but not the strong aura I could feel from vampires or werewolves.
Still, he wasn’t to be trusted.
“My best friend, Tammy.”
His black eyes glimmered with something I didn’t like. His reddish hair was now short on the sides and longer on top. He didn’t look as ragged as when I’d last met him.
“Tammy,” he said as if he were trying to find out how her name tasted on his tongue. “I’m Adrian.”
Now it was my turn to drop my mouth to the floor. I’d met this man, and he hadn’t bothered telling me his name. I shook my head.
Maybe he wouldn’t keep us as hostages here, seeing how much he stared at my best friend. I hoped he was more agreeable and talkative in her presence.
I didn’t like to manipulate people, but a girl had to do what a girl had to do.
And I needed information on the danger lurking around the shelter in the closest city to my kingdom.
I sighed. Correction. The kingdom wasn’t mine.
“Adrian,” I said, and the man smiled, “why do you have people at the shelter?”
Adrian raised his eyebrows. “If I tell you, what will I receive in return?”
I gaped at him. Was he politely asking us to make some exchange? I thought we would be handcuffed or chained, and a ransom notice would have been sent to my dad by now.
His dark eyes glanced at Tammy, and her face turned red.
But she remained quiet, which was unusual for her. I could tell she liked Adrian and probably thought he was handsome, but she was holding back.
“What do you want, hunter?” I asked.
“I get lonely sometimes. So if you could stay here to keep me company, that would be great,” he said and grinned. “All I want is to have dinner with you and your friend.”
I scoffed. “Is that the best way to keep us hostage?”
He laughed. “You’re not a hostage here, Princess. I can promise you this much. You are not the one hurting the humans, so no harm will come to you or your friend.”
Tammy turned her head to me. “It’s okay, Bree. If you’re not ready to return, we can hang out here for a while. I don’t mind.”
“Mmm-hmm,” I mumbled, watching Tammy carefully.
If Adrian found out I wasn’t human, would he turn against us? I chose to trust his statement that he would only go after someone if they hurt humans.
The hunter leader chuckled and straightened up in his chair.
“Great,” he said in a rather enthusiastic voice without waiting for my answer, “you’re my guests now and will be treated nicely by all my men.
I’ll have a housekeeper who will cook for you and clean the apartment.
There is a bed here.” He pointed to the ajar bedroom door. “No one uses it. I have another place.”
Tammy crossed her legs and wiped her hands on her jeans. “We’ll stay depending on the information you give us,” she said while her voice shook.
She acted nervous but brave, and I couldn’t help but smile at her for going along with my plan.
Adrian’s smile seemed to widen as he gazed dreamily at her.
“So please answer Bree’s questions,” Tammy added.
“My men are strategically situated around the city to protect the humans. The ones in the shelters are more vulnerable to the supernaturals.”
“I can see that vampires would just use their compulsion powers to get free food from the people, but what about…the werewolves?” My throat grew dry, but I managed to ask my question. “Do the werewolves harm the humans too?”
Adrian tilted his head to the side, studying me. “You surprise me every time, Princess.” He paused. “You seemed to have grown, too. And yes, some werewolves seek humans for their indulgence in pleasure.”
“You can’t stop inter-breeding among the species, especially if they’re mates,” I said. “It’s only natural since we share this realm.”
Adrian narrowed his black eyes at me, and for a moment, a pinch of anxiety stabbed my chest. Had I struck a nerve?
“Werewolves shouldn’t mix with the humans and have offspring.” He looked out the window.
It was dark outside, probably after midnight, and the light in the living area made it impossible to see past the reflection.
“My mom was a human. And when my werewolf Dad lost his temper one night, he shifted, and it only took one swipe of his claws to kill my mother. As a child, witnessing such murder when I had no idea that my father was a supernatural was a shock.”
I took a deep inhale and let out a heavy sigh. I believed his every word, having spent lots of time around werewolves.
Then Adrian must have dedicated his life to keep the werewolves in check. To become the hunter leader, Adrian had to prove himself as the strongest and smartest among the hunters, similar to the werewolf way.
But unlike the royal title, the hunter leader’s position wasn’t inherited; it was earned.
“I’m sorry,” Tammy said in a low voice, looking at the laminate floor. “But not all werewolves are bad.”
“And that’s why both of you are sitting here alive, especially the werewolf Princess,” he said.
Tammy flinched.
He chuckled. “But honestly, I can’t complain about the werewolves so much. The vampires lured the humans from the shelter into the dark alleys, and these incidents have increased recently. It’s almost as if there are more vampires lately. Always different ones showing up around the shelters.”
I drew in a deep breath. “More vampires in the city needing more food? Are you sure?”
He nodded. “I have people everywhere, Princess. I’m sure.” He looked me straight in my eyes. “It’s almost as if the vampire Queen is creating more vampires.”
“To build up her army stronger,” I added. “As if she’s preparing for a war.”
Tammy’s widened eyes snapped to mine. “No…”
“It’s probably true, especially since the vampire spy we captured said she was coming to the kingdom.”
I couldn’t stay away from the kingdom for much longer. I had to return and plan for the crazy woman’s appearance. I couldn't abandon the kingdom’s people to danger, even though I wanted to run away from the man who’d betrayed me with my tormentor. My reason was selfish and weak.
And then the thought of putting Tammy’s life in danger in the kingdom hit me. I promised to take her with me to the kingdom, but I couldn’t since the vampire Queen would attack everyone there.
Adrian remained quiet and thoughtful. He tapped on the table over a stack of papers mindlessly.
As if he knew what I was thinking, he lifted his gaze and looked at Tammy. “Tammy can stay here, away from whatever war you’ll be fighting, Princess,” he said, but then added, “If Tammy wants to, that is.”
She nodded. “I’ll talk to Bree first.”
I let out a heavy sigh. At least I had a place where my best friend could be safe for a while. I didn’t think Adrian would hurt Tammy, but I had to speak with her later. It was her decision.
Adrian abruptly stood. “Are you hungry? I’ll make you food,” he said and glanced at Tammy, making me smile.
“Bree, you want to stay, right?”
I nodded at my best friend, knowing too well she wanted to stay and get to know Adrian more than I did.
Tammy followed Adrian to the opened kitchen, and I settled at a seat at the countertop. As Adrian and Tammy talked, her infectious laughter returned, as well as a blush on her cheeks and a sparkle in her eyes.
There was a harmony to the way the fierce and rough hunter interacted with my sweet and spunky friend. An unexpected surge of relief washed over me, and I sighed. Perhaps leaving Tammy with the hunter would be safe.
Adrian caught my eye when he looked over his shoulder and sent me a genuine smile. I did a double take but quickly recovered and smiled in return.
As the day wore on, so did our conversation. After Adrian and Tammy cleaned up the kitchen, the hunter excused himself and left. Tammy couldn’t stop smiling.
As we retired for the night, getting ready to sleep in the spare bedroom, I realized that Adrian could be our ally. In the supernatural world, trust was a precious commodity, and I planned on rewriting history where the hunters and werewolves would work together rather than against each other.
My body was so heavy, ready to sink onto the mattress.
“Bree, I know you won’t let me be in the kingdom if the vampire Queen is there, but do you think it’s okay if I stay here?”
“The human hunters are not the bad guys. They play an important role in balancing the supernatural world and are needed, like checks and balances. Adrian has not harmed us. I think you’ll be safe here.”
Tammy nodded and pulled on a T-shirt for the night.
“But how do you feel about him?” I said.
Tammy clutched her shirt tightly. “I like him a lot, so I don’t want him to use me for one night and then discard me. I don’t know how to act around him,” she said.
“Well, you looked pretty comfortable around him today. Just be yourself, Tammy. And don’t rush into anything. You’ll know with time, especially since we’re staying here.”
She nodded again. We flopped onto the soft mattress, and both of us sighed with content. Adrian had assured us that the building was a safe place, and his men guarded it from the shadows. I kept repeating his words to myself until I believed them.
Torin couldn’t walk into the apartment if he found our location. I needed more time away from him.
My eyes shut tight, and my mind drifted, exhaustion washing over me. A deep sigh escaped my lips, my body surrendering to slumber.
But rather than succumbing to darkness, my mind transferred me to my dream realm. As if an invisible force pulled me to my enchanted forest and moved my legs toward the rabbit hole—my access point. A gnawing dread filled me as I went down, and yet, I sank deeper into my dream realm.
“No,” I muttered as I landed on my feet in the familiar forest.
I didn’t want to be here. Torin might not be able to enter the hunter’s apartment, but my mate could access my dream realm. Had he somehow called me, using our mate bond?
As warmth rose from within me, I gasped. The gentle breeze brushing over me was someone’s presence. My skin prickled, alert to the tiniest rustling around me. I wasn’t alone.
He was already here.