Our Story Part Three The Hunters

Chapter Twenty-One

“Hey!” His lips cut off any further exclamations. He pulled her closer and began a dance that put Patrick Swayze to shame. He smiled when she followed his lead perfectly.

“Perhaps, you couldn’t dance before simply because you hadn’t found the right partner.”

“And you are that right partner?”

“Of course,” he grinned. “You seem to be doing remarkably well for someone who supposedly can’t dance.” He cocked his head to one side. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
She laughed softly, barely recognizing the husky sound to her laugh. “You seem to be.”
He smirked wickedly, even as his cheeks colored almost imperceptibly. “Mmm... a little. Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“This whole Jesse thing.”

“Don’t worry about him, I’m not.” He just looked at Rowan obviously debating that. “Jesse and I were together for years so, yeah, knowing that he cheated on me hurts but I’m with you now. You’re what I want.” She deliberately moved against him in a way that made him almost gasp. “Why would I want Jesse back when I’ve almost got you trained?”

He laughed rolling his eyes. “You are the coolest woman I’ve ever met, and the most evil.”

“Just to you..”

“Ready to leave?”

“I guess.” He wrapped an arm around her waist as we walked to the table. “We’re heading out.”

“Should we all leave together?” Nick asked taking Maya’s hand in his protectively.

“Go in pairs,” Garret said. “That way no one will be alone.” He paused making sure he had every one’s attention. “Stay in groups of at least two preferably more. No one goes anywhere alone.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” Nick saluted mockingly.

“Why do I bother?” Garret asked out loud. He took Rowan’s hand and gently tugged her towards the exit.

“Do you want us to take Lycan?” Rowan asked Kalena.

“I’ll take care of him,” Kalena shrugged. Rowan let Garret lead her back out to the car.

“We’re being watched,” Garret announced casually, as they walked through the parking lot towards Garret’s car. He was talking as though the two were discussing the weather. “Two people. They have garlic.”

“Maybe they just came from an Italian restaurant, and had some nice breadsticks,” Rowan offered hopefully.

Garret snorted at that. “Nice thought but, not likely.” He opened her door for her. “One is approaching. The other is sneaking around to the front. They’re going to try to distract me.”

“Garret?”

“I’m fine, angel. But they won’t be.” Seconds later a young man walked up to the car.

“Hi. I’m having trouble with my car. Could you help me?” Garret looked at the guy for a full twenty seconds before shrugging.

“What do you need?” She watched as Garret leaned lazily against the car, bracing one arm on the top of the doorframe. When the other man did try to attack Garret, he turned and grabbed the man calmly by the throat. The first man attacked from behind. Rowan let Garret have his fun for a full ten minutes before stepping in.

“Enough,” she said touching Garret’s arm.

“What in the Hell are you doing?!” Kalena yelled rushing over to the humans and making sure they were conscious.

“Defending myself,” Garret all but growled at her. “Why? They friends of yours?”

“Stop it,” Rowan pleaded. “Both of you.”

“Stay out of this,” they both snapped.

Rowan glared at both of them before kneeling beside the humans. “Hi, I’m Rowan. I need to ask you a couple questions.”

“Stay the Hell away from us,” one said holding his hand over his neck protectively.

“Why is everyone using such profane language?” Rowan wondered out loud. “Listen, I’ll cut a deal with you, okay? Tell me what I want to know and he won’t hurt you any more.”

“I don’t recall agreeing to this,” Garret said.

“I don’t recall asking,” Rowan shot back not even looking at him. “We’ll let you two go.”

“Someone is bound to see us,” the first said.

“Good point,” Kalena said. “So, now what?”

“Weren’t you just about to jump Garret?” Rowan asked looking up at her and cocking her head to one side.

“He’s not my type,” Kalena smirked.

“Didn’t know you were into threesomes,” Garret drawled. “Not quite my scene, babe, but I’ll try anything once.”

Rowan almost growled. “We’ll take Kalena’s car,” she said ignoring both of them.

“Fine with me,” Kalena nodded.

“Take where?” the second man asked.

“Where’s Lycan?” she asked.

“Inside with Maya and Nick,” Kalena said. “I was just stepping out to get some air.”

“Garret?” she asked.

“Already told them,” he said.

“You really are quite scary.”

“Thanks.” We piled into Kalena’s car. The two men were almost shaking. Garret appeared to be in thought for a moment before turning to Kalena. “Something bothers me. Kalena, this is a 1979 Corvet. How do you have it?”

“Just trust me when I say you really don’t want to know,” Kalena told him honestly.

He shrugged. “Fair enough.” Rowan told Kalena to pull over when we got onto a back road.

“Where are we?” Kalena asked.

“The middle of nowhere,” Rowan shrugged. She got out and opened the door for the two human men. “Gentlemen?”

“I’m not getting out!” one exclaimed.

“Why?” she asked.

“You took us out here so he could kill us,” the first man simpered. “I won’t get out.”

“What’re your names?” Rowan asked putting the “push” all vampires could master in her voice.

“Jon, this is Robby.”

“Well, Jon, don’t you think he can kill you just as easily in the car?” Garret and Kalena got out, the guys followed much slower. “Follow me.”

“To the ends of the earth,” Garret smiled down at Rowan sliding an arm around her waist.

“Where do you get your lines?” Kalena asked rolling her eyes. They walked deep into the forest and stopped at a clearing.

“Why are we here?” Robby asked hesitantly, as though he were afraid to talk. Rowan couldn’t blame him.

“So we can talk in private,” she shrugged. “If you’re up-front and honest we’ll let you go. If you’re not... just be honest.”

“What do you want to know?” Robby asked.

“Why did you attack him with a stake?”

“He’s a vampire,” Robby said.

“How do you know that?” she pointed the men towards a fallen log. They sat down tentatively.

“We were told,” Jon said.

“Dude,” Robby hissed. “Enough.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Garret said brightly. He took a step closer to the men. “Names. Now.”

“Back off,” Kalena said.

“Why are you even here?” Garret asked.

“To keep you in line, bloodsucker.”

“Stop it,” she said.

“Not a chance,” Kalena said.

“We can’t tell you names,” Robby said.

“Why?” Kalena demanded.

“They said they would kill us,” Jon confessed.

“They?” Garret said. “They who?”

“We can’t say anything!”

“You’re under the mistaken impression that you have a choice. You remember Rowan’s rules, don’t you? Tell us. Now.”

“We were working out a niche,” Robby began looking at Jon for help or comfort, Rowan wasn’t sure. “Just taking out some fledglings-”

“Fledglings?” Rowan asked, alarmed. That term wasn’t used amongst vampires. The clan that created them protected new vampires. Fledgling was a term used for a vampire who was just turned and abandoned by the vampire that turned them. They simply were not tolerated. They were dangerous. Even Jesse, who Rowan would admit she hadn’t trained herself, Cherish and Cat had taken care of. This meant to her that the “vampires” the men had killed were either humans, or vampire children.

“Let him finish,” Garret said, his hand curled into a fist.

“One night we got a phone call,” Jon continued. “This guy told us that he knew what a really powerful vampire was. We got all your information, he said that if were caught and survived he’d kill us.”

“Give me a name,” Garret said.

“Micah.”

“Shit!” Garret said. “Fan-fucking-tabulous.”

“Garret,” she asked.

“Well, babe, now you get to meet my old friends.”