The Kill: Book 3 in The Hunt Series

  The Kill

  By Alainna MacPherson

  Copyright © Alainna MacPherson, 2020

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Chapter One

  Maeleigh

  My body vibrated. Energy bounced around like numbered balls in the lotto, suspended and smashing into one other. Wood clamped between my teeth. I tried to think of something else. Anything else. I hadn’t slept the night before – too worked up about what was coming the next day, which probably didn’t help my completely shot nerves. No one could tell me what to expect so even though they were telling me that “Everything would be fine”, they couldn’t actually know. How could they? They’d never met the Cearer before. It wasn’t exactly a good thing to be visited by the Cearer. And they always spoke of them as an entity, not an individual. Like saying, “The police are coming”. What was going on in me right now, no one could help or put at ease.

  A large, warm hand slid onto my thigh, putting pressure on it, forcing me to stop bouncing my leg. It was alright, though. Under my desk, the other leg was still going strong. Looking over at Gearden, I saw the sympathy in his eyes, but I didn’t want to talk about it. We were supposed to be listening to whatever Mr. Boyen was saying. But I had stopped taking notes fifteen minutes ago.

  Chomp. Oh, ugh! I’d bitten into the eraser of my pencil. Again. Off and on through the course of the morning my pencil had kept making its way into my mouth. I was like an infant looking for something to teethe on. Dropping the pencil, I picked a bit of pink rubbery stuff off my tongue.

  “Calm down.” Gearden soothed in my mind, using the telepathic communication line our mating gave us. At least, he tried. It wasn’t working. He had tried all night to help me sleep, putting the thoughts of the Cearer out of my mind so I could rest. But by morning, we had both just been sleepless.

  “That’s easy for you to say,” I groused. “You don’t have the freaking lycan secret service coming out to chat with you.”

  A wave of caution suddenly swept over me and I turned to see his eyes flashing silver before quickly reverting to their mossy green.

  “This is anything but easy, for me, Maeleigh. I’m doing all I can to keep my wolf at bay, knowing that my mate could be coming to trial before the bogeymen of our people.”

  Dang! When he put it that way, I was suddenly more concerned about him than myself — hey, look at that, mission accomplished — and reached down to clasp his hand on my thigh, giving it a squeeze. “I’m sorry,” I said.

  There wasn’t anything else I could say to help him. It was inevitable that he would worry; it was in his nature. The alpha in him couldn’t help the drive to protect his mate, even from invisible threats. It just amplified it. We had learned before we finalized our mating that his wolf wasn’t a part of him, as was the average lycan’s: a wild nature that influenced some decisions and came to the forefront when shifted. Instead, his was more of a symbiotic relationship, like mine. Our wolves had different personas; demanded a say in things, sometimes even when we were in human form. My wolf was a little quieter, though not by much, so I didn’t have to worry like he did, about keeping it in check during the day.

  With Bri at one last homecoming committee meeting, I knew it would be up to me to keep things from getting out of hand. Trying to calm him, I forced my other leg to freeze, then did some yoga breathing, relaxing the rest of my body … in for a count of six and out to a count of four. In… Out… In…Out… It took about ten sets, but I finally felt the last of the tension ease from my muscles. Slowly, I saw the lines between his eyes ease. At least that was something. The last thing we needed was for him to lose it at school. If it happened again, I’d be forced to take him home. I knew his worry fed mostly on mine, so I made an effort to distract him. Distract us both, more like. Leaning over, I kissed him softly on the mouth, holding the kiss as we both relished the feel of one another. When I felt the sigh against my cheek, I pulled back, resting my forehead on his shoulder. He pecked me on the temple and then pulled me back. “Mr. Boyen,” he warned.

  Glancing up, I noticed that our teacher was watching us with an annoyed expression. “Sorry, Mr. Boyen,” I apologized. Looking at Lisa, I signed, “Won’t happen again.”

  Mr. Boyen didn’t reply but just glared at Gearden before turning back to continue his lecture. I kept my grip on Gearden’s hand for the remaining thirty minutes of class and when the bell rang, I pulled him into the hallway. We had the next class together as well, but I needed a snack. My nerves were getting the better of me and the cereal bar I had eaten that morning was already burning off. Hitting the vending machines, I selected a power bar, knowing it was going to taste like cardboard, but at least it would keep my stomach from revolting. Peeling it open, I took a hearty bite. I held it out to Gearden, who was glaring at someone across the quad, and asked, “Want some?”

  Slowly, he dragged his gaze away from whatever it was that had caught his attention and cast an eye on the offensive snack. He gave a disgusted shake of his head and reached for my other hand as he led the way to our class.

  Bri met up with us at lunch and I was thankful I had someone to help me keep Gearden grounded. The more effort I had put into keeping my muscles relaxed and my mind on the teacher during the last class, the more my body had felt worn out. It was exhausting staying calm.

  “How’s he doing?” she signed to me, tipping her chin towards Gearden, her best friend. As his beta and lifelong friend, she knew better than anyone how to keep him in check.

  Though her signing was coming along much faster than I had expected, I still spoke aloud as I signed back: “So-so. I’m trying to stay calm, but he still seems to be on edge.”

  She nodded, seemingly unsurprised. Being Gearden’s best friend, she probably had a good idea of what was happening in that mind of his, though we both knew that there really was no alleviating the strain his wolf was putting on him. As long as the unknown of the Cearer’s visit remained, his wolf would be on high alert to protect me, his mate.

  “Want to go dress shopping later?” she signed, using an abbreviated form to get the message across.

  I signed “Yes!” hoping she wasn’t going to take me to some super classy dress shop. Since I’d been staying with Gearden’s family, I hadn’t exactly had the opportunity to ask my mom or dad for money for anything. I had only just recently started talking to my mom, who had moved into a small two-bedroom apartment. She had made it clear that I was welcome to move in with her, but that she and dad were having a break. I guess we both needed our own kind of break from dad – he didn’t exactly make either of us feel warm and fuzzy with all his lies and omissions.

  It might be time for me to get a job. It was generally kind of hard for someone like me to get hired and the fact that we now lived in a smaller town, didn’t exactly help matters much. Sure, there were non-discriminatory laws in place to protect me but that didn’t mean I would even make it to the interview stage. If word got to the right person, my application could magically disappear or get lost in some random person’s mountain-like inbox. Still, I’d try to find something. I couldn’t expect Gearden’s parents to cover stuff like fancy dresses.

  Bri was obviously excited and I could have sworn I saw her eyes light up like stars. She may be the pack’s beta enforcer in training, but she certainly had a thing for shopping! “Ok, let’s go tonight. We can …”

  Like a Debbie Downer, I stopped her right there by signing: “Can’t. First ni
ght of training with her majesty.”

  She scrunched up her nose and peered at me, her glare speaking volumes. But I got the feeling the look wasn’t for me specifically – it was more likely for the Unseelie queen herself, who was now raining on her shopping parade.

  “Tomorrow?” I suggested, hopefully.

  Slowly, Bri’s obvious disdain turned to one of reservation. She couldn’t quite argue with responsibility. I’d made a deal with the faerie queen and it would be deadly to renege on it – or so I’d been warned. Dad had told me the faeries were sneaky and very literal. I wondered if that meant my sarcasm would just sail right over the queen’s head or if I’d find myself walking in a funny way at the end of the day.

  “Any word on the Cearer?” I asked her.

  “No. Dad just knows they left Wales yesterday. They weren’t very forthcoming on their travel details.”

  I considered how long it would take to fly from there. “So, they should be here already, right?”

  Bri shrugged as she bit into the bruised apple she’d pulled out from the depths of her backpack. I eyed it suspiciously, wondering how long it had been in there. She might be the enforcer in training, but she was a far cry from spy quality. Which was ok because we had Ro for that, apparently. He’d been on queen detail since she left the O’Connell house that day after we had rescued Jerry’s family from the Westboros. When she had insisted that she train me to unlock my druid (or ‘fae’ as she called it) powers and I countered that she had to train Caleb, too. If anything, he’d be able to tell me if she was training me to do something dangerous. Which I was pretty sure was exactly what she intended to teach me. Danu hadn’t gone into details, but she did tell me I was different from the other druids and the next moment, I had turned a pile of stones into piping hot missiles, or, as I’d like to call them, fireballs.

  Which reminded me. Turning, I placed my hand on Gearden’s thigh to get his attention. He was deep in conversation with Caleb, but he held a finger up to pause the younger boy. Turning, he smiled down at me.

  “What is it?” he asked, his voice, a balm to my nerves, sent an unexpected shiver through my system. I closed my eyes as I rode the wave and when my body eased back to normal, I opened them to find Gearden wearing a most satisfied expression. I couldn’t deny my feelings because a blush had painted my cheeks and warmed my ears for all to see.

  “I have training with the queen today,” I reminded him. He just nodded, not seeing where I was going, clearly.

  “Do you think that’s a good idea, what with the Cearer’s arrival and all?”

  He considered my question, then shook his head. “It should be fine. The queen is aware of the Cearer. Neither has jurisdiction over the other.”

  “So, it’s alright if the Cearer know what I can do? Are we going to tell them what I am?”

  Ah, yes. There it was. I could tell from the dumbfounded look on his face, that he hadn’t considered this. It was one thing for the queen of the faeries to know who I was and what I could do – it was impossible for her not to know, seeing that it was her people who had prophesized about it – but it was another thing entirely for the lycan enforcers to learn of it. After all, depending on who you asked, I was either a welcome prophecy or a damning one. According to the prophecy, I would be able to lead the three sects, which had separated and evolved to become lycans, vampires and druids, back to their original people, the faeries. To some, this would mean the end of their culture: to others, a renewal.

  “I’ll talk to Dad,” Gearden said, pulling out his phone and leaving the picnic table, made his way to a quieter area where he could talk to Liam away from the crowd.

  I looked at Brianna and shuddered as I was just in time to see her bite into the pitiful apple. She didn’t notice though, and just licked a droplet of juice from the corner of her lips. I tapped on her arm to gain her attention, and by signing and talking said: “Gearden is going to talk to Liam. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for the Cearer to know what I can do.”

  “But how are you going to explain what happened between you and Vic?” she pointed out.

  “I’ll have to downplay it.”

  “These guys aren’t dumb, Maeleigh, and they aren’t people you want to mess with!”

  Because we were signing, and I was talking, enunciating my words carefully, the conversation was slow, but she made her point. I would just have to figure out which was the lesser evil: the Cearer learning what I could do and possibly painting a new target on my back or keeping to an outrageous lie and risk becoming a different target entirely.

  “Until we figure out if we can trust them not to start something, I’m just a regular wolf like you and the rest of the pack,” I told her.

  She nodded. It was the best plan we had and we would risk an entirely new enemy rising to the surface if they learned I was the prophesied person the lycans, vampires and druids had told tales about for centuries.

  Bri took another bite of her apple and I turned away, my lip curling in disgust.

  “So?” I asked Gearden, who had returned. He looked weary, which didn’t exactly make me feel warm inside.

  “I spoke with Dad, and he agreed – at least for the time being.”

  Yeah, I knew there was a shoe somewhere that was about to be thrown down with a resounding thud. “But…?”

  Sighing, he said, “But he wasn’t able to reach the queen.”

  My mind stumbled over that bit of info. “How can the queen – Selena, Queen of the Unseelie, the silver-haired enchantress …?”

  “Maeleigh! Careful. She might …”

  I continued, ignoring him, “… not be reachable?” If looks could kill, I would have burned up on the spot from the warning I saw in his eyes.

  “Be careful! Powerful fae are known to have power in just their names.”

  “And yet …” I eyed him dubiously, “… she can’t answer her damn phone.” I ignored his frown and grumbled: “Great. So now I have to play with a double-edged sword of crap.” Thankfully he let me stew about it, which I needed. There hadn’t been much to be happy about lately – save for our recent mating, that is. And suddenly, my poor mood faded away with the thought of his warm caresses along my ultrasensitive skin and the penetrating kisses he peppered me with from my lips to my toes. A shudder ran through me as Luna gave a satisfied rumble at the back of my mind.

  I must have given off a new scent because just then, Gearden pressed his body into mine and burrowed his nose into my shoulder where his mark lay under my shirt. His wolf’s bite was a little higher and now and then, peeked out from under my collar, but so far no one had noticed or dared to ask about it. I rarely found myself socializing with humans nowadays, probably because I no longer felt human. I guess I never was, really. Which made for an easier time when it came to my relationship with Gearden, my mate. Everyone knew we were paired and not to question the marks on my body. I nuzzled into his shoulder, the need to take in his scent – sandalwood and fresh rain in the forest – as strong as ever. It was specific to him. I would know it anywhere. He moved slightly and his lips were on my neck, his hand pulling aside my shirt, giving himself access to the marks. But then someone tapped him on the shoulder and he wrenched back, making me jump back, too. It was Bri, telling us the bell had rung. Time to make our way to the locker rooms.

  Later, when we arrived at the house, I walked straight to Liam’s office and without preamble, strode through the open doorway, asking, “Any word?”

  Calm amusement flickered over his face as he sat back in his chair and watched me. “From whom, are you asking?”

  I didn’t notice the dangerous look in his eyes that contradicted the expression on his face. Not at first, anyway. “Anyone! Cearer? Queen?”

  “No,” he replied.

  His answer didn’t satisfy Luna and I wasn’t quick enough to tamp down a growl that gurgled up from my throat. The moment I felt it, I jerked back, feeling contrite, “I’m sorry!” I said. But that wasn’t enough for the alpha in h
im. Slowly, he rose to his full height and glowered down at me. I could feel the wave of his strength wash over me, forcing a whimper to leech out of me. “Turn your head, show your throat,” Luna chanted rapidly over and over. But I didn’t. I was scared – yes, and sorry – most definitely, but I refused to show my inferiority. It wasn’t making sense, but something inside me was screaming not to succumb; that my apology was enough and I didn’t need to bow down to anyone.

  “He’s alpha,” Luna admonished.

  “We’re equals,” I answered, the revelation coming from the depths of my mind where my magic was held. I couldn’t explain it. It was as if the source of my magic also housed another persona. Which was just great. Weren’t the once-a-month mood swings punishment enough? I didn’t just have crazy Luna to deal with, anymore. There was a whole new player offering its opinions. Movement caught my eye and I turned to watch Gearden stride into the room, halting when he picked up on what was happening. His dad, still on the other side of his desk, had lowered his chin to stare at me from dark eyes, shadowed by thick, frowning eyebrows. His lip curled up as he showed his canines that were growing before my eyes.

  The next second, Gearden leaped, eating up the distance between us in a heartbeat, to stand in front of me, shielding me from his alpha. From his father.

  Chapter Two

  Gearden

  “What are you doing?” I demanded, my body throbbing with adrenaline, ready to take whatever my dad dished out. Whatever it took to protect my mate.

  “She stepped out,” he ground out from between clenched teeth, turning his gaze to me when Maeleigh disappeared behind me.

  Shocked, I argued. “What? No, she …”

  “She needs to remember that I’m the alpha. I’ll not tolerate any more stepping out from her,” he finished. Though he was obviously still seething, I could see his body gradually beginning to relax.