Page 14 of Edge of Darkness

The other hunters dropped the charade of being helpful and dragged whoever they were pretending to help toward the van. There were at least three hunters, not including whoever was inside.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Breaking into a run, Hudson caught up with the couple closest to him and didn’t waste time. Grabbing the hunter in a chokehold, he broke his neck. The human captive immediately started running in the other direction.

He debated going after the human, but didn’t. Hopefully, they didn’t get a good look at Hudson since he basically killed somebody right in front of them.

Hudson let the guy drop to the asphalt and took off after the next couple. The hunter was fighting with his captive, who was a guy this time.

The hunter slugged the man, then threw the human over his shoulder and sprinted toward the van. The victim wasn’t little by any means, but the hunter handled him as if he weighed no more than a feather.

Just as Hudson caught up with them, a hunter came out of nowhere and slammed into him. The hunter was partially transformed, and the yellow eyes were a dead giveaway of what DNA had been spliced with his—werewolf.

Deadly sharp claws slashed at Hudson, ripping through his shirt and into his skin. Hudson spun, catching the hunter’s arm. As he turned, he slammed his elbow into the hunter’s ribs.

He smirked in satisfaction when he heard several of them crack. The hunter’s yells gave him a little spurt of joy too. Finishing the turn, Hudson picked the hunter up and tossed him against the van, making it rock.

The hunter collapsed in a heap on the ground and didn’t move. Hudson sprinted toward the last hunter, who had the human male over his shoulder.

Something blurred past at an incredible rate of speed, and the hunter came to an abrupt stop, dropping his human. The guy rolled several feet away, jumped up, and started limping off.

Hudson caught up to the hunter, surprised to see a vampire had his fangs in the hunter’s neck, draining him. The vampire dropped the hunter and glanced at Hudson.

“The human male saw,” Hudson said, just as the van started to pull away. “Can you compel him to forget? I’ll take care of the van.”

“Yes, King Hudson.” The vampire blurred toward the human trying to escape.

Hudson hated to do that, but the human had seen something he shouldn’t have. He had to forget.

Hudson raced for the van and grabbed the back bumper just as the driver hit the gas. He lifted it, and the front wheels smoked as the van tried to go but couldn’t.

Eventually the hunter figured out something was wrong. The first hint was probably the fact they weren’t moving. Idiots. Opening the door, he and another hunter bailed out of the van and started running.

Hudson dearly wanted to go after them, but he couldn’t, not as long as there were still victims inside the van. Hudson lowered the back of the van down, then hurried to the driver’s door.

Scrambling into the seat, he put the van in park. Fuck, it stunk of hunter in there. Now to deal with the humans who’d been kidnapped. Opening the door again, he got out and started around the back.

The vampire appeared next to him suddenly. “Need help?”

“Possibly. It depends on if they saw something they shouldn’t have. By the way, what’s your name?”

“Felix Marchof the St. Clair coven.”

“Thank you for your help, Felix. I’ll make sure Raven knows,” Hudson said as he reached the back of the van.

“Glad I could be of assistance, King Hudson. Fucking hunters.”

“Fucking hunters indeed.” Hudson opened the van doors. The one girl the hunters had managed to kidnap ran at them, clutching one of her high heels in her hand.

“I do love a fighter,” Felix said, staring at the woman. “Relax. You are safe. Lower your weapon.”

Hudson heard the power in the vampire’s voice. Impressed, he watched as the human woman stumbled to a halt and slowly lowered her shoe. She stared at Felix, her face blank.

Felix held his hand out, and the woman took it. He gently helped her out of the van, then took her shoe from her. Kneeling, he instructed her to brace her hand on his back while he helped her put the shoe back on.

For some reason, the gesture touched Hudson.

Standing, Felix gently took her chin and stared into her eyes. “You were kidnapped, yes, but you saw nothing unusual. No claws. No red eyes. Nothing a human would not have. A blond-headed guy with blue eyes and of average height helped save you, but he disappeared before you could get his name. Do you understand?”

The woman nodded slowly. “Yes. I understand. I saw nothing unusual and a blond-headed guy with blue eyes who is of average height helped save me.”

---