Page 4 of Immortal Unveiled

1

Three months later

“How did I get stuck with you guys again?” Manus looked at Grayson and Ryder, the two vampire hybrids who were currently residing within the Stealth Guardians compound in Baltimore. Their fathers, Samson, the owner and founder of Scanguards, and Gabriel, the second in command at the San Francisco security company, had sent them to intern with them as part of the alliance the Stealth Guardians had forged with the vampires.

The two twentysomethings had come to join them on various missions against the demons in order to learn all about the Stealth Guardians’ capabilities and help out where the guardians needed a vampire’s natural skill: to literally sniff out their enemies, the Demons of Fear.

Both Grayson and Ryder, who’d trained as bodyguards at Scanguards, were fitting perfectly into the motley crew at the compound, a group that, in addition to the warriors stationed here, now included two human women, one female psychic—all three mated to Stealth Guardian warriors—and two almost five-year-old twins. It was getting a little crowded and rather domesticated at the compound. Just as well that there were a few single men left to shoot the breeze with.

“I think it’s the other way ‘round,” Grayson said and jabbed Ryder with his elbow, then winked at Manus. “We got stuck with you.”

Ryder, the quieter of the two, chuckled. “Yep, that’s how I see it too. But hey, we’re good with it. At least you’re not a stickler for the rules, right?”

No, he wasn’t. In fact, Manus was known for skirting the rules whenever he could. Which was probably why the two hybrids preferred getting assignments with him rather than one of the other guardians at the compound. But he wasn’t supposed to let the two youngsters get away with shit. At least not with too much.

“Well, let’s get started then,” Manus suggested and motioned to the hallway that led from the kitchen and great room, the social center of the compound, to the command center. “Let’s see what they’ve got for us today.”

The two hybrids fell into step with him. Their boots clacked against the stone floor and echoed from the walls that were adorned with runes to ward off magic and protect its inhabitants.

“It better be something good,” Grayson said. “It’s been a little quiet here lately. I need some action.”

Manus rolled his eyes and exchanged a look with Ryder, who smirked. “Be glad that it’s quiet. You can’t fight demons all the time.”

“I can!” the hotheaded hybrid protested.

“Yeah? Let’s talk again in a hundred years, and then you tell me if you still think the same way.”

That seemed to shut him up. Just as well. The kid—and he was still a kid compared to Manus’s own age of just over two hundred, and a spoiled one at that—still had a lot to learn.

For a few moments they were walking in silence. Manus cast a quick glance at Grayson and noticed how tight his jaw was. Yep, the heir of Scanguards didn’t like to be told off.

“Hey, don’t get me wrong,” Manus started. “I like a good fight with the demons like the next guy, and I know you both are more than capable of fighting them… But there’s more to defeating the demons than simply bashing their heads in. There’s strategy, there’s tactic, there’s planning. And just because you don’t get action every day, doesn’t mean what you’re doing here isn’t important.”

“Whatever,” Grayson said.

“You’re such a dick as usual,” Ryder said, tossing a glare at his friend. “You begged your dad to let you come here to learn from the Stealth Guardians, and then you pout like a little girl every time things don’t go—”

Ryder didn’t get to finish his sentence. Grayson pounced and slammed him against the wall, growling ferociously with his fangs bared. “I don’t pout!”

Ryder wasn’t intimidated. He pushed the aggressive hybrid off him, catapulting him against the wall opposite.

Manus didn’t interfere and stepped aside in order not to get caught in the crossfire. He’d seen this coming. For weeks now, those two had been launching verbal barbs at each other. They needed to get this out of their system.

“You know what, Grayson?” Ryder ground out, his eyes glaring red now. “You’re an ass. You’ve always been an ass. And it’s about time somebody beat it out of you before it becomes permanent.”

Ryder swung his fist and punched Grayson in the face. The counterpunch was almost instantaneous and hit him on the chin, whipping his head to the side.

“You want a fight? I’ll give you a fight,” Grayson spat and aimed for his colleague’s head again, but Ryder was faster, diving to the side so the fist merely grazed his shoulder.

Still, for a human, the impact would have been painful; not so for the half vampire. He absorbed it as if he’d been touched with a feather. Just like Grayson seemed to feel nothing when Ryder delivered another blow, this time lower, hitting the arrogant Scanguards’ heir in the abdomen.

Folding his arms across his chest, Manus leaned against the wall to watch the fight. It was a thing of beauty, he had to admit. Two half vampires punching and kicking each other was like an intricately choreographed martial arts performance. They were agile, strong, and incredibly fast. They also had a high threshold for pain, and neither of the two was inclined to give up first. Their grunts and groans filled the hallway and bounced off the thick stone walls of the old building. At least they couldn’t damage anything here. In a regular house, they would have already left holes in the drywall.

The sound of footsteps suddenly drifted to him, and Manus turned his head. He saw Hamish running toward him.

“What the fuck’s going on here?”

Manus lifted his hand, stopping him. “Nothing.”