Page 9 of Of Hearts and Hunters (Fallen Crowns Duet #1)

VERITY

“ J umping in to rescue you, translating on your behalf, and making a point to say, ‘goodbye,’” Paxton continues as I consider burrowing myself into the stupid snowy gardens around the manor. “What the hell was that about, Verity?”

“How should I know?” I find myself countering, immediately shutting up when he glowers at me. “Sorry. I don’t know,” I try to fix my mistake by asserting.

“He’s a new Vampyr. He doesn’t have the same years of hatred for us that the others have,” Megsie reminds Paxton. “He was only following orders, Paxton. Actually, you should be thankful he intervened.”

I hate that my Kormi said that–and I hate it even more that she’s right. Two vamp brothers on my ass would’ve meant Dead Verity. The Prince stepping in to follow orders saved my hide. But it’s not like I’ll ever thank him for it. The closest I got was, ‘I owe you one.’

I guess that means I really can’t murder him now–mission or not. Wolves hold direct orders from their Korma above everything, but we also live by a code of loyalty. A save for a save. Mercy for mercy. I know I have to spare him–and not just because I feel like it.

“Besides,” I find myself admitting, “if he gets chummy, it’ll be easier for me to wipe him out when it suits me.”

I expect Paxton to hate that, but instead, he turns his head this way and that behind us. We’re pretty much off manor grounds. “As I check to make sure no one overheard that,” he tells me quietly, a devious smile on his face.

Well, hopefully my lie covered up for the fact that the Prince and I seem to know one another. As far as Paxton and Megsie are concerned, the Prince doesn’t know I was the wolf who attacked him on the last full moon. The fact that I’m Day Hunting him might impress Paxton, and it’ll get him off my case too.

I feel like shit for lying, but if I want to keep my temporary alliance with the Prince, I’ll have to get used to doing things like this. When I get more intel, then I can tell them everything.

“Do you think the Queen is telling the truth?” Megsie asks as we make our way through Korama Territory and toward The Azalea Tavern. That’s the first any of us have spoken in a while. Maybe we were too on edge to say anything after we left the big-ass mansion that looks like a fucking backdrop for a horror movie, even in the daytime.

“I don’t know,” Paxton admits softly, against the harsh Winter breeze.

When I was young, I used to think the Korama Nobility had all the answers. But as I grew up and more shit happened to the Cold Moon Pack and to my family, I learned the hard way that no one knows everything, that not everyone can be trusted–Vampyrs least of all. And now, I’m making a deal with one of them.

Fuck. My parents would be rolling in their graves if they could see me now.

We arrive at the tavern. Paxton needs to talk to Bodhi about increasing security around the perimeter because the vamp murdered a Korama in the back alley outside of the pub. Megsie is stopping in for a late lunch before going back to the office. I’m working another graveyard shift, so I’ll be on the clock in the next half hour. Might as well grab a burger or something.

I lose my appetite when I see Chiara at one of the smaller tables, chatting up some Korama guy. I don’t know him, and I don’t care to. Not if he’s associating with her.

Maybe it’s obvious because I’m about as lovable as a hand grenade, but I don’t have much luck with guys. In my teens, I’d get the odd crush here and there, but I was never as beautiful, smart, or interesting as girls like Chiara, and eventually, they’d drift to Chiara and her friends like fucking flies to light bulbs. It just further removed me from the Korama community, from girls my age, and made me doubt myself even more.

Guys don’t look at me and see a potential girlfriend. They look at me as a prospective fuck, a piece of ass until somebody better comes along. So I’ve just stopped searching.

My phone vibrates in the pocket of my leggings. I dig it out just before sitting at one of the stools lining the bar counter. Bodhi slides a Bud Light to Paxton, who is already a few seats down from me. I notice Briony, who’s almost finished her shift, eyeing him carefully, making sure no one sees. But as her roommate and closest friend, I definitely notice. Then again, I know what I’m looking for.

Briony has a thing for Paxton. She’s liked him ever since she hit puberty, ever since they began to bond over the tragic deaths of their parents in that Vampyr massacre. They’re only four years apart, but Paxton doesn’t seem to pay attention to her other than for the usual Korma stuff. Even though Briony’s nuts about him, we’ve never talked about it. She’s never once admitted it to me. But it still worries me that Paxton not only has power over her as her leader but also as the guy she likes. What a dangerous combo.

Another reason why I stopped looking for a boyfriend.

“Making a call, there, Veri?” Bodhi teases me, his eyes landing on my phone which I forgot I was holding up ‘til now.

I place it onto the counter in front of me. “No. Could I get a burger, Bodhi?”

He gives me a side-eye. “Am I taking it out of your pay again?” he teases.

I forget my wallet one time!

“No,” I repeat, a smile breaking through my resting bitch face. “I’m good for it.”

I remember my phone as Bodhi walks to the kitchen behind the bar to put in my order. I unlock it, surprised to see a message from a number I don’t recognize.

Verity, it’s Darren.

My stomach crashes through the old floorboards. Holy shit. I was so lost in my worries about Briony that I forgot about my weird alliance with the Prince. Fuck.

I have too many problems.

Looking left and right to make sure no one is looking over my shoulder at my messages (but who cares enough to try?), I get back to my phone.

What do you want?

You gave me your number.

Right. I did. Damn.

Whatever. Talking this way will be easier. But at the same time, it’ll be hard to explain everything to a clueless newbie vamp over text. And I sure as hell am not going to call him. I hate my phone enough as it is.

With Paxton and Megsie on opposite sides of the room, I know I need to be careful. They can come by at any time to remind me about patrolling tonight, or anything else about the weird ‘peace party.’ Best to keep this as DL-like as possible.

We need to talk about that bracelet of yours.

Understood. I’m just unsure how to meet without alerting either faction.

I roll my eyes. Do I have to think of everything?

You’re hopeless.

Enter the Heavenstream National Park from your side at midnight. I’m patrolling the parks tonight. I’ll meet you there.

How will I know where to find you?

My God, it’s a wonder he survives getting up in the morning.

You’ll figure it out.

I put my phone away when Bodhi returns, placing the burger in front of me. “So,” he begins as I pick up my burger and begin to eat it after giving him a smile of thanks. “That vamp that murdered Jaxon Coombs the other night…”

Alarm bells ping-pong across the frayed edges of my mind. I can feel another migraine coming–probably because of my usual lack of sleep and the seven cups of coffee I’ve had today. I try to look at Bodhi in a casual way, but I’m sure he can hear my frantic heartbeat. Again, I just hope it seems like I’m anxious about vamp murders around town instead of frantic guilt crushing me from the inside out. I don’t want to be labelled as a scaredy wolf–but that’s a walk in the park compared to the big-ass secret I’m hiding.

Bodhi shifts uncomfortably in front of me, his balding salt-and-pepper hair catching the overhead lights. “Well, your shift ended a few minutes before the alleged attack. And you went to the dumpster to take out the trash.”

Pause.

“Yeah,” is all I say, trying to sound like I had no involvement in the killing of Jaxon the Dickface.

Bodhi doesn’t fall for it, though. He’s perceptive. I’m sure Briony gets that from him. “Jaxon pretty much closed the place that night. You would’ve seen both of them. Practically bumped into them, even,” he pushes.

I hesitate. “I didn’t see anyone,” I protest–or lie. Damnit .

Lying to Bodhi is like lying to Santa Claus. He doesn’t deserve it. But if I tell Bodhi the truth, everything else will unravel.

“Maybe I passed Jaxon outside or whatever,” I continue. “I didn’t know him well enough to care.”

Bodhi bites down on a laugh. “Well, I can get why,” he surprises me by asserting. He leans closer, causing me to do the same without even realizing it. “Everybody loves the guy, but… He was a dumphead.”

‘Dumphead’ is Bodhi’s way of saying, ‘asshole.’ I stifle a chortle just as Bodhi points at my burger.

“Brandon burnt one side of it. No charge.” He winks as he makes his way to a new customer who’s waiting to be served.

I roll my eyes. Brandon is a scrawny pup who also can’t work the grill. Oh well. The burger is still good.

Rainwater sloshing off the trees and the northerly wind blowing from the mountains beyond the National Park make my patrol and hike a little less enjoyable than it could’ve been. I usually like the nighttime air because it sometimes helps me sleep, but I’m so exhausted that I just want to turn around and go home.

But I can’t defy Paxton’s orders. And I need to meet with the Prince. The sooner we figure out this jewellery shit, the better.

I’m deep into the park, homing in on the section of wildlife that hovers between Korama Territory and Vamp Hell. The treeline actually thins out around here, but shudders never fail to prickle against my spine when I make it this far while on patrol. The dwindling number of trees and shrubs–which should make me feel calmer due to increased visibility–deadened by Winter do nothing to alleviate my fears. I see shadows that could be eager vamps waiting to pluck my heart from my chest. With my pounding heart that’s playing havoc with my hearing, I feel like my wolf senses are taking a big-ass beating. My common sense is being ravaged by fear.

I fucking hate that Vampyrs do this to me. I kind of thought I’d be used to the never-ending dread by now, but it hasn’t gotten any easier. And now that I’m the Kormo, the pressure to perform well and to protect the Korama community has doubled, only making me more afraid.

I keep trudging on, trying to swallow my terror but it gets lodged in my throat. Technically I have every right to be here on my side of the park, but what’s stopping the Prince from bringing reinforcements? Or what if other vamps are following him? He’s not exactly stealthy .

As I get closer, thunder rumbles in front of me, like it’s testing me or warning me about something. I turn and look behind me, eerie shadows and heavy fog making it hard to see, even with my enhanced Korama senses.

Not as enhanced as theirs.

No one is out here. Even the bugs and animals are AWOL.

Wait.

I concentrate and the stench of undead vamp meets my senses like a train smashing into a truck. It radiates through my body, each nerve now on fire to attack or retreat.

I try not to panic–what if there’s a ton of them? What if this is an ambush?–and focus as much as I can. My hands are trembling at my sides. I resist the urge to pull up the hood of my rain jacket.

Okay. There’s one of them.

Maybe Paxton was right about me not thinking things through, letting my emotions get in the way of logic.

I suck in a strangled breath against the stink of the undead. I’d bet my life savings (not that there’s a lot of it) that the Prince is in the National Park. Still, I begin to back up, retracing my steps and sliding behind a large elm tree.

Sure enough, a tall figure moves through the blackness in front of me. I can sort of make him out with the fog and rain making it difficult to see and smell. What helps is that the figure is too cautious, keeping a steady pace and then slowing down or stopping, then repeating the process. Telltale signs that they don’t know what they’re doing out here.

The vamp walks through a billowed wall of fog, lowering the soaking-wet hood of their hoodie. I recognize the Prince’s hazel eyes and his dark hair. He looks completely freaked–and for good fucking reason, because he’s once again in Korama Territory. But it makes me feel good that I have the upper hand on him now.

I can’t smell anyone else with him as he turns and eventually does an about-face in the crowded forest, looking confused.

I’m just about to show myself and tell him he’s the biggest loser I’ve ever met when an unnatural sound from the forest floor causes me to turn. A big-ass black bear is a ways behind me, eyeing me with a mixture of animosity and defensiveness.

It’s no secret that animals hate Vampyrs. They’re unnatural and they’re supposed to be dead. Sometimes, bigger animals like bears and pissed-off coyotes will want to attack a Vampyr–especially if they’re alone–to even out the food chain or to protect mates-slash-kids if they’re also in the area. I bet this bear has a mate and a few cubs nearby.

The Prince turns with the sound, too. I can see it in my peripheral vision.

“Verity?” he calls just as the black bear whizzes past me, charging full-throttle at the threat to its family.

This bear is one of the bigger ones that I’ve seen around here. Protecting the five National Parks and patrolling them as a unit, the Cold Moon Pack has an understanding with the wildlife. They respect us, and we do not hunt them. It’s an easy partnership. Maybe this one thinks I’m in league with the Prince–or it’s just pissed off and I happened to be in the line of fire. But there’s no time for that shit now because the bear has already jumped the helpless Prince and is on top of him.

Maybe he’s still so wrapped up in his human life–how things used to be for him–that he has no idea how to function as a Vampyr. He could easily overpower the bear if he wanted to. Dumbass.

The Prince cries out in pain when the bear slices across his chest with its claws. I watch from around the tree, waiting for him to rip the bear’s heart out of its chest. He doesn’t.

Okay, so he won’t kill an innocent animal protecting its mate and cubs. Most vamps wouldn’t hesitate to end the lives of others, creatures of the parks included. Like I said, he’s still thinking like a human–which means I’ll have to actually get in there and stop him from dying all over again.

Fuck.

Why am I the only one with a brain around here?

Ripping into the small break in the forest, I jump in front of the fallen Prince, moonlight between me and the huge-ass bear that’s ready to kill. My eyes swiftly change to that of the wolf inside me, and I snarl at the bear–not an ‘I’ll kill you’ one but just a warning.

The bear staggers back and begins to retrace its steps. At first, I think I’ve scared it off, just like I wanted. But it suddenly rises up on its hind legs and throws its arm back, outraged that a servant of nature like me is actually protecting a disgusting vamp. I might be a heartless bitch, but I’m not going to kill an innocent animal. God knows enough vamps circle through their side of this park and kill just for the fun of it. I won’t do it, even if that might make things a bit messier for us.

“Run!” the Vamp Prince yells before I can even think.

I turn to look at him in shock–shock that a vamp isn’t just going to tear its way through everything and anything that moves. I look back just in time to see an enormous paw decorated with razor-sharp thick claws slashing for my face.

Shit! This will fuck me up, for sure!

Koramas can heal, but it’ll take days in human form–much longer for us than vamps. I’d rather not deal with an excruciating blow to the face and plastic-surgery-level wounds–whether they’ll heal in three or four days or not.

I stagger to the side when the Prince grabs my arm and throws me out of the line of fire, using his vamp speed to whisk us away. I hear the bear roaring behind us as it pursues us through the strong gusts of wind and falling rain, paws thudding angrily against the park floor. Puddles splash behind us, telling me that he might not be as fast as us but he’s definitely not giving up the chase, either.

The Prince’s vamp speed might be faster than my own agility, but I’m not about to let him carry me to safety any longer than is necessary. He’s sort of dragging me behind him, but I can keep up well enough, finally shoving his hand off my arm as we skid to a stop behind another elm tree.

The Prince is hunched over, holding his chest which is drenched with blood. He’s panting like he’s run a marathon.

“Grow up, it’ll heal,” I retort sharply as I peer around the side of the tree, analyzing the shadows and sheets of tumbling rain for any sign of our attacker.

“Thank you for your heartfelt concern,” he wheezes from behind me, causing me to roll my eyes.

“We lost it,” I decide, turning to face him. He slowly straightens but not all the way. He looks really injured. If he was a human, he’d bleed out and die, for sure. Maybe that’s why he’s scared. He still thinks he’s human, or he doesn’t know enough vamp shit.

Why do I have to be his fucking teacher?

“You do know you’re immortal, right, Princey?” I whisper. Even if I think the bear is gone, I’m not about to start leaping for joy.

“I–I know,” he breathes, drawing a shaky breath. “It still hurts, though.”

“Boo-hoo. Better that than death,” I remind him.

He frowns up at me, dark hair falling over his face. “You are just a ray of sunshine, aren’t you, Verity?” he coughs as he slowly fixes his posture.

I step back, my boots sliding across slush and ice. Standing this close to him, I realize with disgust and irritation how much taller he is than me. I mean, most people are–I’m short, it’s just how it is. But I hate that my height is something that can be used against me in a fight. One of the only good things about being a Kormo is that I’m bigger now than I used to be as a wolf–but my human form didn’t get the memo.

The Prince might not think like a warrior, but sooner or later, he’ll realize size matters and that he can easily overpower me when I don’t have the full moon to use as armour. I need to use his intel as quickly as possible so we never get to that point.

He might be a newbie Vamp Prince, but he’s still a vamp. He can kill me so much easier than I’d ever want to admit. I can’t let my guard down around him–ever. Who cares if he saves me (puke) every now and then? He might be using me until I’m dispensable, too. Who knows what he’s capable of?

His frown deepens. “What’s wrong?” he asks.

I fold my arms. “Nothing.” I turn around when I hear something from deep in the park, hating having my back to him.

“Is it coming back?”

Turning around as fast as possible, I’m satisfied that Darren hasn’t gotten any closer. “How should I know?” I snap but I guess he has a point. My sense of smell will be able to pick the bear out, even with the rain dampening the scents around here. It might be harder to pinpoint, but if I focus hard enough, it’ll work.

I concentrate. “It’s gone. For now.”

He lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.” He looks down at his chest, surprise colouring his face. “I’m healed,” he murmurs, running his blood-stained hand over his chest.

“Congratulations,” I respond dryly.

He glances at me. “You didn’t have to step in like that, Verity,” he tells me.

“Okay, let’s get two things straight, Princey,” I growl, fixing myself into an offensive position. “One, we are not friends. Don’t call me ‘Verity.’ And two, I only did it because you have intel I need. So don’t think I’ll ever go soft on you.”

He crosses his arms over his chest. “I never thought you’d ‘go soft,’” he dismisses. “I was just trying to thank you–before you interrupted.”

“Save your breath,” I scoff. “I don't give a shit about you. Just remember that.”