Page 74 of Hunter

“Five minutes. We’ll meet you downstairs,” Hunter told Viktor.

The Alpha’s stare bored a hole through her, but Willa remained firm, refusing to avert her eyes. Rules belonged to the vampires and wolves, but she was not of pack.

“Now, Viktor,” the Alpha growled.

“Pity. Just as things were getting interesting.” Without another word, the vampire dematerialized.

Willa turned on her heels and headed into the bathroom.

“This discussion isn’t over, doc.”

For now, it is. Willa deliberately shut the door and rested her forehead against it. She sighed, emotion tightening in her chest. If she didn’t find a way out of Hell, it wouldn’t matter in the least. She’d be dead, and now that she’d mated with Hunter, he likely couldn’t live without her.

“Are you sure she’s coming?” Willa asked, her eyes drawn to the shadow of Jesus illuminated on the back of the church. She and Hunter walked in silence toward Jackson Square. Sirens blared in the distance as she nervously toed at an indentation in the cobblestone sidewalk, impatient to speak with Ilsbeth.

“She’s lucky it’s a Tuesday. Not many humans around,” Hunter noted.

“What’s lucky about that? Humans equal food. I can always use a little tasty snack.” The suave vampire smacked his lips and laughed.

“How can you talk about humans like that?” Willa turned to Viktor, disgust on her face.

“Because my dear doctor, they are food. I’m a vampire. That’s what I do.”

“Don’t you have a job?” she pressed, earning a brief smile from Hunter.

“I’ve earned my keep. You, doc?”

“Someday I’ll show you mine. Today’s not that day,” she replied, giving him a closed smile. Over the years she’d donated much of the money she’d earned.

“Something about this isn’t right,” Hunter said, scanning the area from one end of the alley to the other.

An eerie silence blanketed the darkness. The hair stood up on the back of Willa’s neck and she moved closer to the Alpha. Gooseflesh broke over her skin, black magick vibrations dancing in the air.

“Do you feel it?” she asked, her breath visible as she exhaled. “It feels like death.”

“Temperature drop.” Hunter reached for her hand.

“What’s happening?” Willa’s pulse raced as it grew colder.

“That’s what’s happening. Up there,” Viktor told them, pointing down the alley, toward the church.

Willa’s heart beat like a drum as the lamp post flickered into darkness. A bright light emerged through the white stone wall of the cathedral. An aberration of a priest appeared before them, his cloak brushing the stone walkway as he passed through the cross-adorned wrought iron gate.

Although the ghost appeared as a holy figure, Willa knew better than to trust it. She lost her breath as it turned to face them, her wolf urging her to shift. The priest lifted a bible, staring straight through its transparent pages.

What is he doing here? she asked Hunter.

He’s a priest. We’re at a church.

Don’t be a smartass. Why is he here? I don’t like it.

This is a pretty cool superpower, huh, mate? A corner of his lip turned upward.

Not funny. She slowly exhaled her fear, attempting to calm herself.

The priest’s mouth opened, his lips moving in silence.

In the distance, a stranger turned the corner into the alley, slowly approaching them.