Chapter 147
A hand grabbed her shoulder and a scream tore from her lips. She tried to fight off her attacker, but strong hands held her arms to her sides and pinned her to the tree. The bark was rough, even through her coat. Blood scented breath blew hot in her face and she imagined a thousand screaming horrors all piled together. Claudius' basement. Kateesha's stronghold. Nirel and Adam. Terror swirled behind her eyes and she kicked furiously, determined to get free.
"Chill out!" a familiar voice cried. "Before I have to get really violent."
She froze, her eyes wide. Slowly, her assailant released her and stepped back, his hands in the pockets of his black hoodie and a delighted smile on his lips. It was Loren.
Fury left her speechless, but her face said everything. She raised a warning fist, and shook it mutely. Then, a black blur threw him to the ground with a snarl.
Loren landed in the snow, Jorick on top of him. "Hey! I didn't do anything!"
Jorick growled in the boy's face, his lips pulled back from his snapping teeth and his black eyes narrowed in inhuman fury. "What are you doing?" he roared.
"Being an idiot," Micah answered from the shadows of the trees. He appeared a moment later, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The thin smoke curled around his head like a macabre halo.
Jorick muttered something unintelligible but swung to his feet. He brushed the snow off of his shirt with short, furious strokes. "I heard a scream." His eyes moved to Katelina.
"I just snuck up on her," Loren said sulkily as he stood and shook the snow off his clothes. "Overprotective much?"
Micah stopped next to the pouting teen and clapped a hand on his back. "Ah, he has to be. Traven's coven is here, so it's like leaving your lunch unguarded in a school cafeteria full of seniors."
Loren snickered in appreciation, but Jorick moved to Katelina. He planted a kiss on her lips and teased, "Can't I leave you alone for a few minutes?"
She shook her head. "There was someone here, before he showed up. They looked right at me."
Jorick's brow furrowed. "Where?"
She pointed to the trees. Loren followed her directions and looked around, but then he shrugged. "I don't see anything. The snow's churned up, but it's that way everywhere from all the animals."
Jorick sniffed the air and then stood still. She got the feeling that he was reaching out with a mental net, sensing for a foreign presence. "I can't find anyone," he announced. "You're sure you saw someone?"
"I'm sure! He stared right at me and then disappeared!"
Micah and Loren exchanged glances and Micah chortled. "If Lunch is done with her hallucinations, then let's head back."
"It might have been someone from Traven's coven," she defended angrily.
"Yes, I suppose so." Jorick didn't sound convinced. He took her hand and led her back the way they'd come.
Loren and Micah followed, exchanging stories of their individual hunts. The bald vampire smugly showed off where the buck bit him before Jorick mentally subdued it. "It's not as much fun," Micah whined. "What kind of a hunt is it when your prey just fucking lies down?"
"Yeah, I know," Loren agreed. "Sometimes it's faster though."
"I like to enjoy my meal." A distant coyote howled again and he prodded Loren in the ribs. "Tomorrow we'll find one of those."
They were barely inside the house when a curvaceous red haired vampiress met them. It was Torina, Oren's sister. She gave the three men a once over, and her seductive green eyes settled on Jorick. She laid a hand on his arm and whispered softly, "They're finally awake." The sound was so low that Katelina wasn't sure she'd really heard it. Then, in a normal voice Torina said. "Hello boys. Been hunting without me, have you?"
"I'll go with you if you want me to," Loren offered hopefully, like an over eager school boy in a brothel.
"Down tiger," Micah cautioned. "She'll eat you alive." Torina pouted prettily, but he gave her an overconfident smirk. "What she wants is a real man."
"Then she's looking in the wrong place." Jorick freed his arm from her and his voice dropped, "Have they gone to feed yet?"
"No. They're only coming upstairs now."
Micah snickered. "I told ya Lunch was hallucinating."
Jorick growled low, but kept his attention on the redhead. "Katelina thought she saw someone outside in the trees."
Torina's full lips curved into a mocking smile. "If you didn't find anyone then she probably imagined it. The mortal mind breaks so easily." Katelina glared furiously and Torina pretended to suddenly notice her. "Speaking of the human, how quaint to see you again."
Jorick dismissed the conversation. "Where's Oren?"
"In the living room with the others." Her voice turned honey thick with innuendo. "Are you sure you want to see him? I'd be more fun." She laughed lightly and met Katelina's flashing eyes. "Don't worry. I've told you before, Jorick's too boring for my brand of entertainment. I'm sure the two of you are just perfect together though."
