Destined (War of the Covens 2)

“Funny.”

“I try. Now, move your ass back out here … the vending machines are across the lot.”

She grumbled, but he had her back to laughing while they collected a small picnic from the machines and walked to the room. Later, he was going to blame his newfound infatuation for why he didn’t pick up the disturbance in the air, the thick coppery smell that clung to the door of their motel.

Instead he stalked inside, looking back at Jaeden, laughing. The door crashed, closing them in, and he felt the cold press of metal against his temple. Jaeden gasped, seeing the presence he felt beside him in the dark with her wolf eyes.

“The light, please,” a nasal voice rumbled in his ear.

Jaeden reached to the wall, and with a click, the room flooded with bad lighting.

He couldn’t believe this. He couldn’t effin’ believe this! And he couldn’t move … there was no coming back from a close-range bullet to the head, even if he was a lykan.

Jaeden stood stock-still as her eyes drifted from Ryder to his captor.

“Vampyre,” she said quietly for his benefit so he would know who had a hold of him.

“Yes,” the voice sneered. “You stinking, lykan bitch.”

Ryder bristled and immediately felt the gun press deeper into his temple. “What do you want?”

“To kill you. While she watches. And then kill her.”

“How succinct.” Jae’s mouth twisted in distaste. “Can I inquire as to a motive?”

“Cora.”

“I’m sorry, a what now?”

Ryder muffled his laughter. Goddess, she was something, wasn’t she? Cool as a cucumber, even though she was probably petrified inside. He glanced around the room, looking for a suitable weapon against the vamp. There was the television set … it could cause a distraction. If only he could communicate this to Jae with his eyes.

“Cora!” the vampyre yelled. “My girlfriend! My girlfriend for thirty years, until you came along and cut off her head!”

Jaeden shrugged casually. “I’m sorry, but I’ve cut the heads off quite a few bad teeth who slaughtered humans.”

“Cora. She was blond. Beautiful. You left her to die in a cemetery a few days ago.”

Ryder watched as recognition dawned in Jaeden’s eyes. She remembered whoever it was the guy was spewing about.

“She murdered a human boy.”

The gun pressed even harder to Ryder’s head now. “Well, you took care of her for that, didn’t you. Now I’m going to take care of what’s important to you.”

The gun cocked.

“No!” Jaeden shouted and threw up her hand.

Suddenly the cold metal disappeared from his temple, and the gun, with its sinister silencer attached, flew past his face and into Jaeden’s waiting hand.

What the …

She took aim and shot behind Ryder as he ducked for cover. Ryder whirled to see a tall, abnormally thin male in slacks and a striped sweater stumbling back against the wall. This … this was the would-be assassin? Holy Artemis.

The vampyre regained his footing. A bullet wasn’t going to do much. He saw Jae make a move toward the guy out of the corner of his eye and hissed in disbelief. He threw out his arm, pushing her behind him more roughly than he intended, and then turned on their attacker. The guy threw a punch that would have sent him through the wall had he made contact, but he missed, having thrown too much weight behind it. Ryder jerked to his side, grabbing hold of his arm, and twisted it hard enough to break it. The vamp howled. This gave him the leverage to whip the supernatural around and grab his head. As quick as lightning, Ryder wrenched it clean off his neck.

“Yuck.” He dropped the dismembered head on the body and turned around to glare at Jaeden. “Don’t you have some explaining to do?”

Why did he have to go and ruin the moment? Here she was, trembling with shock at the violence, and yet overwhelmed with admiration at the swiftness of Ryder’s actions as he’d dispatched the vampyre. She could tell by the way he hadn’t lingered over the kill that he was a Hunter not because he enjoyed it but because he was strong and good at it. Fast, efficient.

But could he allow her to ogle him in admiration for just a few minutes? Nope. He had to jump right to the fact that she’d used telekinesis. And whatever friendship they’d formed in the last thirty-six hours was going to die a sudden death when he realized she was polluted.

Maybe she could feign ignorance.

“I think we should get rid of the body just before dawn. We’ll put it out back and it’ll be gone within seconds. Nice job, by the way. I’ve not quite managed the art of decapitation by bare hands, but I’ll work on that. Yes, siree. Is there a technique—”

“Jaeden,” he warned quietly and took a few intimidating steps toward her. Automatically, she backed up against the wall. “Jae, is this what you’re hiding?” He pointed to the gun she’d forgotten was still in her hand. “How did you do that? And before you ask, yes, I mean how did you whip the gun from his hand to yours?”