Page 34

“Are you alone?”

“I assure you, I’m quite alone,” I replied. “We can talk out here if you’d like.”

There was a long pause, and then the rifle disappeared from the window. The door cracked open, and the barrel reappeared. The man opened the door wider but kept his body shielded. He then shone a high-powered flashlight in my direction. I held up a hand to shield my eyes from the sudden bright light as the man swept the flashlight from side to side, checking to see if I was telling the truth.

“Have a seat right there. I don’t want you any closer,” he said from halfway behind the door. “You’re not sick, are you?”

I lowered myself to the snow, a few yards from the porch, doing my best to appear non-threatening.

“I’m not sick.”

The man slowly walked onto the porch, leaving the door wide open and letting out enough light for even a human to see clearly. He kept his gun aimed at me and glanced around once more. I couldn’t fault him for his caution. I only hoped I could persuade him of the magnitude of the danger. This man might be brave, but he was no match for what was coming his way.

Seemingly satisfied, the man stepped farther out onto the porch. “So, who are you, and what did you want to warn me about?”

He stood framed in the doorway of the cabin. Light from within hit him from behind, creating a golden halo around his light hair and tracing his body in a soft yellow outline. He was tall, nearly as tall as me, and he was thin, whether from hardship or genetics. He wore a blue plaid flannel shirt with rolled sleeves, blue jeans, and hiking boots. And he held the rifle like he knew how to use it. I was more concerned with earning his confidence than with being shot, but I was careful not to make any sudden moves.

“I’m a friend, and I wanted to tell you what happened last night, so hopefully it won’t happen to you,” I said.

“Are you threatening me? Is that what this is all about?”

“No. Nothing like that. I told you I wasn’t involved in what happened to the other…people.”

“Why don’t you start by telling me what happened? It’s freezing out here.” The man shivered but didn’t let his attention waver as he waited for a reply.

“Your neighbors were taken—kidnapped from their cabin last night. There’s a group living not far from here, and they’re hunting…people.”

“Hunting people? Like to eat?” His voice rose in disbelief.

I winced; it sounded unbelievable. I wasn’t sure this was going the way I’d intended. “Yes, something like that. I came here to warn you that the group will be back, and they will take you if you’re still here, unprotected.”

“I can defend myself,” he said, raising the gun in demonstration. “If I have to.”

“Last night, the people had guns, and there were two of them.” I rubbed my face, trying to figure out how to explain. “This group—guns won’t stop them, but I could.”

“You? You think you can defend me better than a gun?” he said, his eyebrows shooting up. “None of this makes sense. How do you know so much about this group, anyway? Are you with them or something?”

“It’s not like that. We’ve parted ways.” This was not going well at all.

The man started backing toward the door when I heard something rushing toward us from the left. I glanced over as two vampires dashed into the clearing next to the house.

I was too late.

The man’s eyes widened as the two streaked into view at inhuman speed, causing him to fall backward onto the porch as he tried to back away.

“Get in the cabin,” I yelled at the man as I sprang to my feet, positioning myself between the cabin’s front door and the two hunters.

The human scrambled to his feet and then cocked his rifle.

“Don’t bother. It’ll just piss them off,” I said, glancing over my shoulder. The man’s gaze flicked between the newly arrived hunters and me, indecision on his face. “Get inside and shut the door. I’ll handle this.”

“Oh, you will, will you?” Anna asked in a silky voice. She was with the same man as the night before. Both wore form-fitting black clothing, perfect for hiding in the shadows. She stood with a hand on her hip, assessing the situation, her short blond hair tousled by the wind. “What are you playing at here, Vincent? Did you decide to join the hunt? Oh, but no,” she said with feigned surprise. She pointed to my pack on the ground. “It looks like you’re all packed up. Moving on? Thought you’d grab a snack on your way out?”

The man behind me on the porch edged toward the door, but he wasn’t moving fast enough for my liking.

The other vampire, the man, stood well over six feet tall, with a powerful build and a bald head. He began to move toward the cabin while I was distracted by Anna. I lunged toward him, baring my fangs to discourage him from continuing. The male vampire halted and raised his hands, clearly understanding the message.

“This one is under my protection,” I said, positioning myself to respond in case Anna decided to challenge me too.