Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
But suddenly he turns, looking back inside, right before someone screams.
CHAPTER 17
With no hesitation, I make a move to go inside. Xavier stops me, both hands landing on my forearms.
“Stay here,” he tells me.
“No way,” I shoot back, heart racing. “Someone could be in danger.”
“Exactly,” he growls, drawing his fangs.
“I’m not some princess you have to protect.”
“No, you’re not,” he agrees. “But you are my wife and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” Our eyes meet and my lips part, heart fluttering from his words.
“Fine, I’ll go in behind you,” I say, knowing I won’t win the argument but not having the time to waste trying. Xavier takes a hold of my hand and leads me in. Right away, we can see exactly what’s going on.
A vampire has grabbed a woman from behind and is threatening to sink his fangs into her neck. Only…that’s not a vampire. It’s one of the hunters. What the fuck?
“He’s—” I start but Xavier is already on it. He speeds forward, knocking the fake vampire to the ground. I’m right there next to him, pulling the woman to the side. People already have their phones out, no doubt live streaming what they’ve already decided is a vampire attack.
Which is exactly what the hunters wanted.
“You’re okay,” I tell the woman, looking at her neck. There are marks on her skin from the idiot trying to bite her with the plastic fangs. “He’s not a real…” My voice dies in my throat when I see the very real vampires all on the defense, snarling at a human who has a gun drawn. Regular bullets won’t kill a vampire. They’ll still hurt like hell, but don’t pose a threat at all.
Unless the gun has been loaded with special bullets containing fragments of wood. Humans don’t understand why it takes a piece of wood to counteract the dark magic inside a vampire, but it has something to do with the fact that the tree was once alive and is now dead, sort of like a vampire. Nature is powerful magic, much more powerful than anything manmade.
Another human, a congressman who introduced himself as Peter, gets a crossbow that had been hidden behind a table, and is holding it with shaking hands. He’s more likely to shoot and hurt a human than a vampire with that thing.
But then it hits me. It wasn’t just bad press the hunters wanted. It was a bloodbath. Make it look like one of the baby vamps lost control and drank from an unwilling victim, giving the humans a reason to defend themselves. And once blood is actually shed, the baby vamps—and even the seasoned ones—would engage in an all-out war.
And everyone knows how it’ll end.
“Stop!” I call out, making sure the lady is steady on her feet before letting go, but my voice is drowned out in the panic. Oh shit. This isn’t going to end well.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Xavier’s voice rings out, louder than anyone else. “It appears we have an imposter.”
No one lowers their weapons or retracts their fangs, but at least they’re looking at Xavier. He’s holding the hunter by the back of his collar and makes him walk forward, into the center of the room.
“Go on,” he says, giving the hunter a shake. “Tell them.”
“I’m not a real vampire,” the hunter tells everyone. His cheeks are flushed and he looks around, probably for his friends. If Theo arrived in time after Xavier’s warning, then the other hunters aren’t. Hell, they might not even be alive anymore.
The hunter puts a finger inside his mouth and snaps off the fake fangs. The crowd of vampires and humans all gasp. Pushing my shoulders back, I stare right into the hunter’s eyes. He looks at me and then quickly looks away. That’s right, motherfucker, you messed with the wrong witch.
“What is the meaning of this?” Peter, who I’m forever going to call Crossbow Pete, says. He’s still rattled and is now looking a little embarrassed he overreacted and revealed that he had a hidden weapon, which goes against one of the rules put in place by the VC that no humans can have “death-delivering weapons” while in ‘peacefully arranged’ meetings between vampires and humans. That specific law has been a topic of much controversy, and one I ignore. I always have weapons on me. In fact, I feel quite naked right now without a single knife or blade hidden on my body.
“He was trying to start a fight between the vampires and the humans in this room,” I say and the hunter looks up, venom on his face. I don’t know this guy’s name, but I’ve seen him before at Zodiac, and I know both Leo and Antonio have exchanged some heated words, and maybe even a few punches, about how I’m just as much a hunter as the rest of the Order members, even though I’m a dirty witch, as this asshole put it.