Out for Blood
Page 23
I didn’t say anything but I bent my knees slightly, in case I needed to leap out of the path of a crossbow bolt or a stake. You never could tell with hunters. Some of them were jumpy.
“Back to your room, Wild,” one of the profs snapped at Hunter. “And Agent Black is waiting to escort you off the premises, Mr. Drake,” she said to me, clearly not pleased to even acknowledge my presence. I could smell the fear on her skin, like a perfume.
“He helped us,” Hunter pointed out, frowning, “while the rest of you were elsewhere.”
I admit I got a charge out of watching her defend me. I hadn’t expected that. Kieran had told me enough about her family that it was frankly surprising she hadn’t tried to stake me yet, out of principle.
The professor stood to block our view of what they were doing. “Now, Miss Wild. That’s an order.”
Hunter looked like she wanted to argue but she just nodded sharply, turned on her heel, and walked away, tugging my hand so I’d follow.
“Something’s not right,” I said when we were out of earshot.
“I know,” she agreed grimly as we stepped onto a lawn bustling with students, teachers, and the occasional hunter in full gear. The predator in me rose to the surface. It was a struggle not to growl out loud. Kieran came to get me, nodding at Hunter to move toward the dorm before she could say anything else.
“What the hell, Kieran?” I barked.
“Not here,” he barked back.
Chapter 10
Hunter
Friday afternoon
No one would tell us anything, even the next day.
The most information I could get was out of Theo, and he would tell me only that Will was critical but hadn’t turned or died as of yet. It wasn’t much to go on.
It didn’t help that Chloe wouldn’t stop complaining.
“It’s so not fair,” she said again as I wiped the sweat off my face and began my cool-down stretches. We were in the gym, which was nearly full. The attacks last night had all the students eager to train again, even though those of us left behind at the school had seen the most action. Which was what had Chloe in a snit. Her face was nearly purple.
“Take it easy,” I told her. “You’re going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep pushing like that.”
She drained her water bottle and wiped her mouth. “I feel fine, and I had my checkup yesterday to prove it. So there.” Students had to get a physical exam at the beginning of each school year.
“Well, you’re the very flattering color of raw hamburger,” I corrected. “Not a good look for you.”
“I just need to take another vitamin,” she panted, shaking out what looked like a yellow horse pill from a bottle she pulled out of her bag. It had her mother’s name printed on it: Dr. Cheng.
“How do those not make you gag?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “You get used to it. Not that you’d need to.”
“Not this again.”
“Well, it’s true,” she insisted. “You’re a natural athlete. And you get straight As.”
“So do you!”
“I suck at the combat stuff.”
“You don’t suck,” I said, pulling the elastic out of my hair. I was getting tired of defending myself when I hadn’t done anything wrong. She was so prickly this year. I couldn’t imagine how stressed she was going to be when classes actually started. It was kind of making me wish we weren’t sharing a room. “But you are getting on my nerves.”
“Not all of us are getting commendations for saving lives,” she said. It sounded suspiciously like whining. “You kicked ass last night and all I saw was the back of a Hel-Blar head as it turned to ash. And I wasn’t even the one who staked him.”
“You’re pouting because you didn’t get to kill anything?” I asked her, astounded. “Seriously?”
“You don’t get it.”
“Got that right.”
She shoved her stuff into her bag. “Everything’s easy for you.”
I blinked at her. “Are you high? Have you not been paying attention the last couple of days?”
“You came out smelling like roses every time.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” I couldn’t believe her. “Shit, Chloe. What’s wrong with you? You’re my friend. You should be glad I didn’t get slammed with all those demerits York tried to give me.”
“I am glad.”
“No, you’re not. You’re ragging on me because I got attacked by vampires and you didn’t.”
“I’m just tired. God.”
“Then get some sleep,” I shot back, annoyed. “And get a grip.”
“You’re not perfect, you know.”
I stared at her. “When did I ever say I was?”
She scowled. “You act it.”
“I do not.”
“Yes, you do. You’re good at everything.”
“You’re nuts.” I slung my gym bag over my shoulder and stalked away before I said something I might not be able to take back. I couldn’t believe the way she’d talked to me, the way she’d looked at me—like I was making her life miserable. I’d never seen her like that. She was still muttering to herself when I slammed the door behind me. I didn’t even bother changing, just went outside in my gym shorts and tank top. I didn’t want to be near her for a second longer than I had to right now. We never fought, not like this. We bickered over stupid stuff during exams, but so did everyone. This was something else. I knew her mother was being even harder on her than usual, but how was that my fault?
“Back to your room, Wild,” one of the profs snapped at Hunter. “And Agent Black is waiting to escort you off the premises, Mr. Drake,” she said to me, clearly not pleased to even acknowledge my presence. I could smell the fear on her skin, like a perfume.
“He helped us,” Hunter pointed out, frowning, “while the rest of you were elsewhere.”
I admit I got a charge out of watching her defend me. I hadn’t expected that. Kieran had told me enough about her family that it was frankly surprising she hadn’t tried to stake me yet, out of principle.
The professor stood to block our view of what they were doing. “Now, Miss Wild. That’s an order.”
Hunter looked like she wanted to argue but she just nodded sharply, turned on her heel, and walked away, tugging my hand so I’d follow.
“Something’s not right,” I said when we were out of earshot.
“I know,” she agreed grimly as we stepped onto a lawn bustling with students, teachers, and the occasional hunter in full gear. The predator in me rose to the surface. It was a struggle not to growl out loud. Kieran came to get me, nodding at Hunter to move toward the dorm before she could say anything else.
“What the hell, Kieran?” I barked.
“Not here,” he barked back.
Chapter 10
Hunter
Friday afternoon
No one would tell us anything, even the next day.
The most information I could get was out of Theo, and he would tell me only that Will was critical but hadn’t turned or died as of yet. It wasn’t much to go on.
It didn’t help that Chloe wouldn’t stop complaining.
“It’s so not fair,” she said again as I wiped the sweat off my face and began my cool-down stretches. We were in the gym, which was nearly full. The attacks last night had all the students eager to train again, even though those of us left behind at the school had seen the most action. Which was what had Chloe in a snit. Her face was nearly purple.
“Take it easy,” I told her. “You’re going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep pushing like that.”
She drained her water bottle and wiped her mouth. “I feel fine, and I had my checkup yesterday to prove it. So there.” Students had to get a physical exam at the beginning of each school year.
“Well, you’re the very flattering color of raw hamburger,” I corrected. “Not a good look for you.”
“I just need to take another vitamin,” she panted, shaking out what looked like a yellow horse pill from a bottle she pulled out of her bag. It had her mother’s name printed on it: Dr. Cheng.
“How do those not make you gag?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “You get used to it. Not that you’d need to.”
“Not this again.”
“Well, it’s true,” she insisted. “You’re a natural athlete. And you get straight As.”
“So do you!”
“I suck at the combat stuff.”
“You don’t suck,” I said, pulling the elastic out of my hair. I was getting tired of defending myself when I hadn’t done anything wrong. She was so prickly this year. I couldn’t imagine how stressed she was going to be when classes actually started. It was kind of making me wish we weren’t sharing a room. “But you are getting on my nerves.”
“Not all of us are getting commendations for saving lives,” she said. It sounded suspiciously like whining. “You kicked ass last night and all I saw was the back of a Hel-Blar head as it turned to ash. And I wasn’t even the one who staked him.”
“You’re pouting because you didn’t get to kill anything?” I asked her, astounded. “Seriously?”
“You don’t get it.”
“Got that right.”
She shoved her stuff into her bag. “Everything’s easy for you.”
I blinked at her. “Are you high? Have you not been paying attention the last couple of days?”
“You came out smelling like roses every time.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” I couldn’t believe her. “Shit, Chloe. What’s wrong with you? You’re my friend. You should be glad I didn’t get slammed with all those demerits York tried to give me.”
“I am glad.”
“No, you’re not. You’re ragging on me because I got attacked by vampires and you didn’t.”
“I’m just tired. God.”
“Then get some sleep,” I shot back, annoyed. “And get a grip.”
“You’re not perfect, you know.”
I stared at her. “When did I ever say I was?”
She scowled. “You act it.”
“I do not.”
“Yes, you do. You’re good at everything.”
“You’re nuts.” I slung my gym bag over my shoulder and stalked away before I said something I might not be able to take back. I couldn’t believe the way she’d talked to me, the way she’d looked at me—like I was making her life miserable. I’d never seen her like that. She was still muttering to herself when I slammed the door behind me. I didn’t even bother changing, just went outside in my gym shorts and tank top. I didn’t want to be near her for a second longer than I had to right now. We never fought, not like this. We bickered over stupid stuff during exams, but so did everyone. This was something else. I knew her mother was being even harder on her than usual, but how was that my fault?
