I have returned :) After quite a few difficult years real life has settled down into a better place and I find I can once more concentrate on writing again. I will endeavour to ensure that new chapters will post much more frequently, and thank you all for being so understanding as you waited for the story to continue. #yourock
Chapter Thirteen
"How many did you scent?" Demetri asked quietly, deep green eyes peering into the forested mountainside ahead of them.
"Seven," Freya answered her own gaze alert as she too swept the surrounding area, her mate in wolf form, large and black beside her. "They're all Elder vampires but it's hard to tell how old."
She looked at the wolf for a moment and then turned back to her brother and Demetri. "Dayton says we're about an hour behind Dara's group. The vampires tracking them are hanging back about thirty minutes or so from them."
They had made the decision that he would travel in his wolf form and Freya would carry his clothes in their backpack. It was impractical for him to shift every time to speak so he passed on his thoughts through their mate bond, and she relayed to the others.
"I didn't scent any more to the left," Nors commented, throwing a question glance Joshua's way.
The European vampire shook his blond head. "I veered further left and went higher up than Nors. It's clear in that direction too."
Demetri had taken the right side once they'd passed the last clearing Dara's group had stopped at. He had scented the vampires the others had but no one further out. It seemed they could reasonably agree that they were only dealing with a handful of trackers following their packmates.
Nors rolled his shoulders and let out a slow breath. "So, do we attempt to capture this lot and get some intel, or do we just take them out?"
"Dara's last call to Rafe said they were almost at their attack point. We can't have even a handful of enemies targeting their backs," Demetri replied. It would have been good to find out just who their big bad was, but they needed to prioritise getting everyone back safely.
Freya smiled, her beautiful face lighting up in a way that would terrify any enemy in her path. She tilted her head in Dayton's direction again and laughed softly. "It's nothing I need translate," she admitted, with a rueful smile.
"Your mate's enjoyment of your blood lust leaves me to wonder at his sanity," her brother retorted, but there was a hint of eagerness in his own tone, as if he too was relishing the chance to kick some much-needed ass.
Truth be told, it did feel unnatural not to indulge in their more feral sides every now and then, and the group had been living a peaceful existence for a long time, with the exception of Demetri who had been in Europe not that long ago, saving Pietro's life.
"I'll come in from the right, and you come in from the left, Nors," Demetri instructed. "Freya, and Dayton can move in head on. Between the four of us it shouldn't take long to take down the trackers. Just try to do it quickly, before they get the chance to alert anyone to our presence."
The European vampire eyed him questioningly. "Will I be filing my nails while you're all busy?"
Demetri shot him a small smile. He trusted Joshua, and in no way doubted his ability to assist them taking down the other vampires, but he needed him for something else. "If you're that way inclined," he chuckled lightly.
As his friend glared at him, he shook his head "No, I need you to survey a good hiding place for the bodies and then get rid of them until we can come back and deal with them properly. We don't need any other vampires stumbling on them before the rescue mission has been completed."
It was hard to argue with his logic when it made perfect sense. Joshua nodded his agreement and disappeared to find a suitable location.
"And that's why Demetri is in charge of the mission and not you, sister," Nors smiled. "You'd leave the bodies lying around for all to find." He enjoyed baiting his sister. She could be counted on to rise to it.
Her frosty glare speared him, widening his smile.
"Keep it up, brother, and there might be one more body to hide," she replied sweetly. Freya followed up her words by bumping her hip against his to take the sting from her words. "Don't get dead, Nors. That would piss me off."
Her brother hooked an arm around her neck, pulling her in for a quick hug. "Try to keep the crazy to a minimum. Ash will have my head on a plate if I come home without you."
The siblings separated, Freya's hand running through Dayton's midnight black fur. She nodded to Demetri, and then they took off into the trees ahead.
"Let try to get this done as quickly as possible," Demetri said. "We need to be close to the others when they launch their attack."
Nors took off towards the left and Demetri headed left, moving swiftly through the trees to intercept the hunters who didn't know they had suddenly become the hunted.
~~~~~
Freya flew across the ground, her steps silent despite the rough terrain. On her right Dayton kept pace with her, his wolf form sleek and beautiful as he bounded at her side as silent as she was. The thrill of the hunt was upon her, and she gloried in the feel of the air rushing over her, the scent of her prey in front of her. It had been far too many years since she had hunted.
They had been good years; she couldn't deny that. She had met her mate and experienced the joy of bringing her daughter Elina into the world. But there was always a part of her deep down that missed this feeling, that craved the chance to let go of humanity and enjoy the thrill of being one of the most ruthless predators on the planet. Now she could be that predator, and she relished the chance to protect her family and packmates. These vampires would rue the day they messed with the Armand-Hanlon pack, and she would enjoy being a part of their downfall.
"Two are moving left and two right. That leaves three ahead of us."
Dayton remarked through their mate bond.
"I'm amazed these vampires have survived so long,"
Freya replied, disgust infusing her tone.
"They're not that noisy, Freya,"
Dayton chuckled, amused at her distain. His mate had very high standards for her kind and was never impressed when vampires let her down.
She turned to give him a withering gaze.
"Seriously? You can't hear them? The one on the far left has a slight hitch in his right leg. If we attack from the right it will give him less time to adjust, and the one in the middle is like a bull in a china shop the way he's stepping on twigs."
Dayton pressed his hearing and gave a rueful chuckle. Now he knew what to listen for he could hear it too. As always his mate was correct.
