“It’s just a few cuts.”

“Where?”

“My left thigh, my left side, and my right hip.”

His jaw clenched. Leaning down, he swept her into his arms. Though he was careful not to touch any of her wounds, it still hurt.

“I can walk,” she insisted between teeth gritted against the pain.

“You wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

The world around her blurred. A strong breeze whipped through her hair, tugging it across her face.

When everything came back into focus and her hair fell away, she discovered they stood on top of a building down the street.

“Wow. You weren’t kidding when you said I couldn’t keep up. What—?”

“I didn’t want to take any chances. The mercenaries always seem to show themselves after the fight is over, as though they want to make sure they nab the immortal victor instead of the vampires.”

Alarm rose. “Did you see any closing in?”

“No. Will you watch the battle scene for me while I inspect your wounds?” He gingerly lowered her to her feet. “Are you okay to stand?”

“Yes and yes. I really don’t think the cuts are too deep. They just hurt. And stop looking like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’ve suffered a mortal injury or something and you want to go back and kill the vampires again.”

“Here.” He handed her his infrared scope. “I would go back and kill the vampires again if I could. I don’t like you getting hurt. I don’t like you being in pain.”

She raised the scope to her right eye and squeezed her left eye closed. The world appeared before her, normal black combined with weird shades of blue and purple and occasional splashes of yellow, orange, and red.

Etienne peeled her coat back and bent to check the wound at her waist. “What do you see? Any humans?”

“I see a guy driving past in a truck. A couple back near the frat—Jeeze! I think they’re having sex! Euw! In the bushes? Who does that?”

Was that a laugh?

She opened her left eye and checked.

Yes, she had wrung a smile from him. Good.

She grunted when he prodded the cut. “That hurts, you know.”

“It needs stitches.”

“No, it doesn’t. Just get me home. Sean will take care of it.”

“Keep looking,” he instructed and turned his attention to her thigh. “Good. They missed the artery.”

She squinted through the scope again. “Yeah. What is it with vampires and hamstrings?”

“They’re like lions trying to bring down a gazelle. They think to hobble you, then move in for the kill.”

“Bastards.”

“Yes.”

She turned in a complete circle, eliciting more French swear words from Etienne, who was still trying to examine her wounds. “I’m not seeing anything. I don’t think they came tonight.”

He waited for her to settle, then checked out her hip. “This one needs stitches, too.”

“Quit complaining.”

He straightened and took the scope from her. “I’m not complaining. I’m expressing concern.”

“Well, you’re harshing my mellow. We defeated five vampires tonight. That’s something to celebrate.”

He raised the scope to his right eye and turned in a circle. “I think if they were here they would have come out of hiding by now.”

“They certainly didn’t dawdle the last time we encountered them.”

“Wait here a moment. If you see anything, think a warning and I’ll hear it.”

“Where are you—?”

He vanished. Or moved so swiftly he seemed to. But his aura helped her trace his movements as he returned to the area in which they had fought.

Krysta raised the scope to her eye and looked around. No mercenaries.

Ooh. His aura looked really freaky through the scope as it streaked back toward her.

“Okay,” he said, stopping before her. “Let’s call it a night.”

“What did you do?”

“Confiscated the vampires’ weapons and tossed their clothing into the Dumpster.”

“Oh.”

“Let’s head for the car.”

She halted him when he bent to lift her into his arms. “I can walk, Etienne. Really. The wounds aren’t that bad.”

Brushing her hands aside, he lifted her into his arms anyway. “This is faster. And, if it will soothe your ego, you can tell yourself that I’m not doing this because I think your injuries have weakened you. I’m doing it because I was looking for an excuse to hold you.”

“I can do that,” she said, looping her arms around his neck. “Which one is it?”

“I’ll let you decide.”

“So, we’re really going to do this?” she asked.

“Do what?”

“Hunt together?”

“That’s the plan. At least for the time being.”

Good. They made a great team. And the more time she spent with Etienne, the more time she wanted to spend with him.

Krysta combed her fingers through his thick locks. “Your hair is so soft.”

He smiled as the world blurred.

Chapter 12

David reclined in his comfy chair, his feet propped on the edge of his desk, as he devoured the latest Stephen King novel.

Seth lounged in a chair on the other side of the desk, his large boots also gracing the scarred wooden surface as he studied his cell phone.

Outside, the sun was high in the sky, its rays filtering in and brightening the room naturally.

The house was quiet, save the occasional snore. Marcus and Ami were fast asleep. Bastien and Melanie were, too, having opted yet again to spend the day at David’s so Melanie could be near Ami.

Roland and Sarah had surprised them all by choosing to spend the day there as well. Seth thought Roland was beginning to pick up on Marcus’s tension. Roland may be antisocial, but he was fiercely loyal. And Marcus had been a good friend to him over the centuries.

Even Darnell slumbered.

Seth and David should be getting some rest as well. So many needed their help on a nightly basis that both often went days without sleep. But, when one’s sense of hearing was as acute as theirs, quiet was hard to come by and could often only be found during times like this.

“I think our secret is out,” Seth murmured.

David grunted and kept reading. A moment later he turned the page. “Which one?”

“I keep getting messages from immortals wanting to know why there are so many gifted ones in this area.”

“Tell them it’s something in the water.”

“I did. They didn’t buy it.”

“Coincidence?”

“They didn’t buy that either.”

“Too smart for their own good.”

“It doesn’t take a lot of smarts. Word gets around. First Roland found a gifted one, then Bastien and Richart. They all think Marcus has found one, too.”

David nodded, his eyes still on his coveted book. “This love thing is becoming an epidemic.”

“And everyone wants to be infected.”

“Can you blame them?”

Seth sighed. “No. Happily ever after, when you live as long as we do, sounds . . .”

“Phenomenal.”

“Yes.” He motioned to his phone. “You see? Another immortal requesting a transfer to North Carolina. They know something is up.”

“How long do you think it will take them to connect the unusually high gifted one population to the presence of a network headquarters?”

“I don’t know, but once they figure out we guide gifted ones to all areas that boast a network headquarters—”

“There will be hell to pay.”

Seth nodded. “They’ll think I’m playing matchmaker.”

“And playing favorites.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Exactly. Everyone knows I’m your favorite and yet I remain distressingly unattached.”

Seth grinned. “Angling for me to set you up on a blind date?”

“Hell, no.”

Laughing, Seth shook his head. “I don’t blame you. My record as a matchmaker sucks.”

“Bethany had a long, happy life.”

“And Marcus was miserable for centuries.”

“Marcus wouldn’t have found Ami if you hadn’t inadvertently denied him Bethany.”

“You’re giving me a headache.”

David smiled.

Seth swore. “I have to go. Friedrich needs me.”

David looked up from his book. “Be safe.”

“As always.”

Seth vanished.

Sean watched Krysta and Etienne arm themselves. Last night had been both informative and nerve wracking. He felt reasonably sure now that the immortals were on their side and truly were different from vampires. He was a little less sure that Etienne wasn’t messing with Krysta’s head.

The man was telepathic and clearly attracted to her. How easy would it be for him to manipulate her thoughts and plant an interest in himself?

Because she was clearly interested. Sean hadn’t seen Krysta this captivated by a man since before she had taken up vampire hunting.

Even when she had returned home from their hunt wounded last night, she had been unable to drag her gaze away from the Frenchman.

She laughed at something Etienne said.

She seemed to laugh a lot around him, too. Though it worried him, Sean had to admit it was good to see her in such high spirits.

Absently he rubbed his hip, where it still ached from healing her.

Cam had patiently answered all of Sean’s questions while they had waited for the hunting duo to return. He had encouraged Sean to get some rest, but Sean had been unwilling to turn in until he had seen for himself that Krysta was okay.

He had healed her wounds without complaint, grateful as usual that they weren’t fatal. Her eyes had sparkled with excitement as she had recounted their battle with five vampires.