Huntress for Hire, a Vampire Romantic Suspense, page 1
Huntress for Hire
Heart of the Huntress Series, Book 2
Terry Spear
Terry Spear
Contents
Foreword
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Terry Spear:
Untitled
Prologue
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in a review.
* * *
Discover more about Terry Spear at: http://www.terryspear.com/
I dedicate this book to fans of the paranormal. And to my mother, Florence Lois Wilde, God rest her soul, who whenever she offered ideas for vampire romances, I’d have to remind her that I
wrote vampiric romance, not horror stories.
* * *
What would you do, if you fell in love with a vampire, when you were supposed to hunt them
instead?
Foreword
He’s a hunter turned vampire, she’s a huntress of vampires—he’s needs her cooperation to free his family; she’s trained to kill his kind.Rebel vampire huntress Rachael Bremerton wants revenge against Piaras, one of the most ruthless vampires in Dallas , for the murder of her parents. But when she’s lured by another vampire, Adonis, into the darkness—the same darkness she’s feared since she was a child—she’s torn between her huntress sensibilities and some strange desire to be with the creature she’s meant to despise and destroy.Adonis, a hunter turned vampire, has been ordered by Piaras to bring Rachael to him untouched. In return, Piaras will release Adonis’s family unharmed. But when Adonis first sees Rachael, his hunter desire to have a huntress mate kicks in, or is it the dark heart of the vampire that makes him crave her so?Turning Rachael over to Piaras becomes less of an option. But can he find a way to free his family, claim Rachael for his own, and keep her family from discovering he is a hunter turned vampire—a creature they will all feel obligated to hunt down and kill?
Prologue
Beguiling.
Adonis held his breath as Rachael Bremerton walked toward her bright red Mustang, wearing typical huntress attire—perfect for taking down rogue vampires—black denims, a black turtleneck, boots, and an ancient huntress dagger sheathed at her waist, the weapon forged of steel that with a nick of a heart could take down the most lethal opponents.
His pulse quickened at the sight of her—petite, blonde, devastatingly brilliant blue eyes— bewitching. Yet, the notion she’d wear that kind of attire when she was attending a hunter’s formal ball meant she was a bit of a rogue like he’d been. He gave a sardonic smile. Then his mood soured. How was he to turn such a marvel over to Piaras for his disposition?
Adonis ground his teeth, fighting the urge to extend his canines, the hate he had for the vampire twisting a shard of anger up his spine. Rachael would kill Piaras and free his family. She had to—it was the only way to take down the vampire.
A cell phone jingled a merry tune on her belt, and she jerked the phone out of its pouch.
“What?” Her annoyed voice intrigued him. Everything about the huntress’s actions did. “I know I’m late, Zachary. I’m on my way. If you wouldn’t keep pestering me, I’d be there already. All right?”
Zachary, one of Rachael’s cousins. She flipped her cell phone closed and jammed it into its pouch, then climbed into her car.
How was Adonis to seduce the huntress into doing his bidding? His vampiric charms wouldn’t work on her. Or would they?
He stood taller in the shadows of her apartment complex as she drove off. The hunter in him longed to have her for his own...as his huntress mate. Which blast his dark soul would now never be possible. The cursed vampire part of him craved having her for all time—just a bite and a little more, and he’d claim her for all eternity. Already he endangered the mission as his feelings got in the way. His family came first. He didn’t personally know the huntress. She just had to accomplish the mission, and then she was expendable.
The fact he had to remind himself brought him to one alarming conclusion...the huntress had already claimed a part of his soul.
1
An unfamiliar whiff of a spicy woodland scent caught Rachael’s attention as she climbed out of her car at her uncle’s hotel where the annual hunter’s ball was in full swing.
A misty gloom clung to the November night in the dimly lit parking area, but she saw no one. Yet, her intuition warned her something was amiss.
A lively gypsy rhapsody played in the ballroom on the second floor, and she glanced in the direction with disdain. Having to socially interact with bride-hungry male hunters, totally irked her especially when she had no intention of settling down anytime soon.
She locked her car door and strode across the parking lot. The mission: Get the hunting contract from her uncle and return home, pronto.
A subtle flapping noise caught her off-guard. She whipped out her hunter’s dagger and whirled around. Her pulse raced and despite the chill in the air, her hands grew sweaty. Not a soul stood in the murkiness, but the sound like the flapping of wings or a cape resonated suspiciously like a vampire’s arrival. Instantly, adrenaline surged through her, and she poised for the danger lurking in the dark.
Two of her cousins’ voices drifted from a distance. She slipped her dagger into its sheath and headed in their direction, knowing if a vampire were foolish enough to come here, he wouldn’t dare draw any closer to the location of fully armed male hunters.
“Rachael mustn’t learn of the news,” redheaded Ferris warned his identical twin brother, Ned. Even in the semi-dark, the red freckles that bridged their noses stood out against their creamy skin.
Although she attempted to sneak up on them, her boots crunched on leaves in the parking lot. She cringed. With a whoosh, both cousins unsheathed swords, the preferred weapons for killing vampires, having passed down from generation to generation. Her cousins whipped around to face her.
“I mustn’t learn of what news?” Rachael asked, her voice sharp, knowing a coddling tone wouldn’t convince them to tell her what was going on.
“Damn it, Rachael.” Ferris waved his sword at the surrounding area. “You know better than to sneak up on hunters in the dark.”
“You’re afraid of a vampire appearing here? He’d have to be rabid to come within a mile of a hunter’s ball.” Yet she feared the sound she heard moments ago was just that. Still, for now, she was more interested in the secret concerning her. She folded her arms. “What news am I not to hear?”
“Nothing.” Ferris sheathed his sword.
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“The secret is if Uncle Tobias sees you dressed like that, he won’t give you the hunting contract.”
Rachael touched her left shoulder where a vampire had marked her when she was five, digging one wickedly sharp fang across it. Huntresses only wore bare-shouldered gowns for the formal affair. She wasn’t staying. “You’re not going to tell me what this is all about?”
“No.”
She gave him her best I’ll-learn-the-truth-on-my-own scowl and stormed up the outside stairs.
Again, the fragrance of spice kissed the breeze, and she whirled around to see who or what smelled so heavenly. The creature had to be a vampire as elusive as it was, stalking her, but why?
Squashing the shiver that dared trickle down her spine, she hesitated to open the door to the ballroom. Her eyes attempted to adjust to the low light of the parking area while she searched for the intruder. She saw no one but her cousins watching her.
Maybe something else fluttered in the breeze. The American and Texas flags flapped on metal poles in front of the hotel. That was it. As for the spicy scent...
She shook her head and entered the ballroom. Expensive colognes and perfumes mixed, making the ballroom smell like a floral fairyland. She took a deep breath. The male scent outdoors was some hunter’s. No vampire would be so brazen to come anywhere near a hunters’ ball. The tension in her stiff spine eased.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled high above the dance floor, casting a soft light over the partygoers, while a different gypsy rhapsody drifted overhead.
Her cousin Zachary quickly intercepted her, dressed in a tux, his dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, his brows knit in a frown. “About time you arrived. Dad’s throwing a fit that you’re so late.” Zachary motioned to her clothes. “Why are you wearing hunter’s clothes to a formal function?”
“I’m here strictly on business.”
Something sparkling through one of the glass doors leading out to the balcony caught her eye. Something in the dark.
Zachary sipped his drink. “I heard Dad has a new contract for you to fulfill. But he won’t be pleased that you’ve refused to dress for the occasion tonight. How will you ever catch a hunter’s eye, the way you flaunt our protocol?”
Irritation ran through her veins. After the death of her parents and because she was the only female among her cousins, they treated her like she was their younger sister...each one in charge of her. Tonight, the idea exasperated her more than usual. She pursed her lips.
Crinkles appeared beneath Zachary’s eyes as his lips curved up. “I hear he wants you to destroy another vampire dog.”
“Not this time. This time, I’m to go after Piaras.” She patted Zachary on the shoulder as his jaw dropped. “You know, the head of the family in eastern Dallas. One of the meanest, most evil vampires of our time.” She glanced back at the balcony doors. The strange light flickered, then faded into the blackness. What in the world was it?
Zachary finished his drink. “Not even the most experienced of us can touch him. You shouldn’t joke about it. If anyone thought you were serious, the word could get back to Piaras, and he’d order a death contract on you.”
For a huntress who terminated vicious vampire dogs? That would be the day. “Tell me, what’s the news concerning me tonight? I overheard Ferris talking of the special family meeting.”
Zachary narrowed his eyes. “He wouldn’t have.” He took in a deep breath, enraged. “Where is he?”
“In the parking area.”
Without another word, Zachary stormed toward the doors, but then he hesitated, turned on his heel, and disappeared down a hall. Evidently, whatever was said about her was serious. She’d find out what the secret was though as soon as...
The light on the balcony sparkled again. Like a shining lure in the dark waters, the glitter drew her across the floor through the dancing, twirling couples. Her gaze focused on the light while dancers, hugging each other in lover’s embraces, moved out of her way.
“Rachael!” Uncle Tobias’s sharp tone wouldn’t dissuade her.
She continued toward the door, the object outside capturing the reflection of light from inside.
“Rachael!” Her uncle’s voice raised an octave.
The light from the object of interest faded as she neared the door. Whatever it was moved away from the glass and into the dark.
She stared into the pitch-black night. If she were a vampire, she’d be able to see clearly in the darkness, but as a huntress, she couldn’t see anything. She grabbed the brass door handle, but just as suddenly, a large hand clasped over hers, giving her heart a start.
She looked up to see her uncle’s gray eyes, stormy and piercing. He dragged her away from the main ballroom and hurried her toward his office. Zachary passed her, coming from his dad’s office, gave her a small smile and nod of his head, and continued to the stairs that would take him outside.
Her heartbeat quickened as her uncle’s fingers gripped her wrist tightly. If he’d leave his party to speak with her, she was in trouble.
“Zachary relayed to me you intend to go after Piaras.” So that’s what shook Uncle Tobias up.
His thin lips drew taut, and he released her wrist, shut his office door, and motioned for her to take a seat. “Don’t you dare go anywhere near his estate. Understand?”
“I was only joking.” The words squeaked out, the tone of her voice immediately annoying her. She wanted to sound sure of herself, like the men did, not high-pitched like a mouse. Standing six-foot-two, her uncle could be an intimidating figure. When she took a seat before him, she felt like less of a huntress, and more like his...niece. “I want to know what the special family meeting was about. If it’s something that pertains to me, I have a right to know.”
When he refused to say, she dropped the topic, knowing she wouldn’t learn anything from him if he didn’t choose to speak on the matter. Somehow, she’d wheedle it out of one of her cousins—Ferris, maybe. “I understand you have a job for me.”
He glanced down at her clothes and scowled. “Why aren’t you dressed properly tonight?”
She ran her hands over her jeans. “You know I hate these affairs.”
“Nonetheless, you’re not excused from them. Come back here properly attired. After the function ends, I’ll give you your assignment.”
“Killing another vampire dog?” Venom filled her words.
“I have another job for you, but you won’t get it, if you disobey me about this ball.”
The only way she’d ever prove her self-worth and be able to deal with her unreasonable fears was to have a real hunter’s job...killing rogue human vampires. She owed it to the memory of her parents, to take up the sword, to set the world right. Killing rabid-acting vampire dogs wasn’t the same thing.
She ground her teeth, hating that she had to dress up like the women did for the ball, showing themselves off to the men like pieces of succulent meat—in her case, a scarred piece of meat. She quickly shoved the notion from her mind.
“Rachael?” He folded his arms and pinned her with a glare.
“All right.” Grateful to be released, she quickly rose from the chair.
Uncle Tobias grabbed the doorknob and yanked the door open. “Don’t delay.”
She soon entered the ballroom, her thoughts in turmoil. If it wasn’t so important she get another contract so she could turn the evil ones to dust and reasonably support herself—and avoid having to live with her uncle again—she’d skip the whole affair. As if Uncle Tobias would allow it. He’d send one of her cousins to fetch her and force the issue.
But then she considered the glass atrium doors where she’d seen the light and headed for them.
“Rachael!”
She wheeled around to see her uncle watching her, his expression severe. Taking a deep breath, she turned and crossed the floor toward the door that led to the outside stairs and parking area. But after she exited the building and descended the flight of stairs, she turned back toward the hotel.
Walking down a path, she made her way to the back of the building. Except for a faint light from the ballroom above, the grounds remained mostly shrouded in dark.
The fragrance of pine needles scented the cool crisp air. She looked up at the balcony that stretched out from the ballroom. No stairs led to the balcony from down below. The only access was from the ballroom itself.
A breeze tugged at her hair, blowing shoulder-length strands into her eyes. Then a sound like a footstep crunching on fallen leaves caught her ear. She whipped around. Gooseflesh dotted her arms as her eyes widened, seeking out the source of the footstep. Her heartbeat quickened and blood pounded in her ears.
If a hunter or huntress had come down here to be alone, he or she would have announced themselves. Something else remained cloaked in the dark. Something mysterious that drew her into the ebony web.
A new gypsy melody drifted down to her from the party, but it didn’t disguise the footstep she had heard. Had someone walked in her direction, or away from her? She couldn’t be certain.
She pulled the dagger from its sheath at her waist. A vampire wouldn’t endanger its life by coming to a hunter’s ball with so many hunters about, would it?
His scent floated to her as the wind shifted direction. Her throat dried instantly as if a sponge suddenly soaked up the moisture. She strode forward, attempting to perceive anything, an outline of a body, anything she could make out in the lightless void.
Whoever it was took three steps back, drawing her forth. She charged forward and felt a piece of satiny fabric, suspiciously fluttering in the breeze like a cloak...like a vampire’s cloak. Panicked, she swung her blade, attempting to strike the creature, but all she touched was air.
Unsure of herself, she remained frozen to the walk. Why hadn’t he attacked her? He could have easily taken her as disadvantaged as she was alone in the darkness. Yet, she was drawn to him and couldn’t free herself from wanting to solve the mystery of who or what he was. But it was more than that. Almost as if her backbone had turned to steel and a man-sized magnet drew her into the shadows...like she had no willpower to resist his force.
