Page 28 of Blood Taken (Blood Mafia 2)
What the hell happened? One second, we’re sharing pain, and the next she’s back to her bitchy self.
Punching the side of the bed, I let out a growl. How is it she’s the one who broke down and yet I’m the one left kneeling on the ground, brain aching from trying to process all that she confessed?
I’m regretting my decision to come with her and Nicole more and more.
I can’t wait to leave.
* * *
Mack leftme a stack of books. In two days I've made it through three books. Splitting my time reading with training and hanging out with my new friends.
Maria has left me alone for the most part, aside from checking in on me the afternoon I came back from the lake, she's been MIA. She doesn’t try to talk or justify her leaving me and she certainly doesn’t attempt to be nice. I’m not sure if I’m mad that she’s not trying or happy.
She seems content to leave me to my own devices.
Typical for her, I guess.
I appreciate the freedom though; I don't think I'd be as relaxed if I had her following me around. Instead, I've inserted myself within the Hunters my age, thankful none of them are assholes. I've seen Daniel around, but he usually ignores me after searing me with a scowl that could wilt flowers.
Good thing I'm no flower.
I grab the next book from Mack and flop onto my bed. It's eight o'clock at night and I'm peopled out. Plus I'm learning a lot from these books.
Hunters are also supes, the same sort of genetic mutation is responsible for my kind. Hunter powers are essentially super strength and speed. With enough training, Hunters can be stronger than vampires and werewolves.
As of tomorrow night at nine-thirty, I'll be immune to hexes and can break through magic spells if I focus hard enough. I asked Mack about the necklace Quorana gave me. He said as long as I don't focus on breaking the spell on the pendant, it'll remain intact. I also have to leave it on for it to work.
As soon as I take it off, Mateo will know. Or at least I assume so based on what Quorana said that first night. Either way, I don't take it off. Not even in the shower.
Another interesting perk of being a Hunter is the ability to hunt down any person or being simply by knowing their name. Oh, I'll also be really hard to kill and will stop aging around thirty. Which in theory, is great, being young forever and all that, but who wants to live for all of eternity?
I mean, provided no one rips my heart from my chest and burns it to a crisp, I’ll live forever. Vampires and Hunters are similar in the way they have to be killed, except all you have to do to kill a Hunter is burn their heart so badly the tissue and muscles can't reform.
Imagining the rest of my body rising and stumbling around while it searches for a salvageable heart is laughable, but at least I'll be resilient.
I skim the introduction of the next book and dig right in to the first chapter. Something about the words seems strangely familiar. When the narrator mentions Beatrice I gasp.
This is Mateo's book.
I snap it closed and read the name again. This one is titledHunter's Guide. I scan through the chapters. Sure enough, it tells the same story of Van Helsing. It also has all the gory details.
The book lands on the comforter with a soft thud when I toss it aside.
Mateo was telling me my history and I had no idea. Why though? What did he have to gain? He had to have known giving me the information I need to kill him was a bad idea.
Unless he thought I'd appreciate him teaching me about my kind... I scowl at the book.
I don't understand why he'd hold back the truth while feeding me valuable information about myself.
Mateo and his stupid games. He's not even here and I'm pissed at him. I wish he were, that way I could junk punch him for not telling me what I am.
Honesty never hurt anyone.
I pinch the pendant between my fingers, running it back and forth on the slim chain, thinking of all the ways I'll hurt Mateo if I ever meet him again.
Remember the whole I might be a psycho theory? Well the insane widening of my mouth at the thought of punishing the gorgeous vampire is further proof of how crazy I really am.
I'm looking forward to reuniting with the trio someday. Hopefully after I have my powers and have decapitated a few nasty fang bangers as practice.
