Free The Witch Hunter by Nicole R. Taylor Page A

be trouble. The alley had to be pristine. 
    "We can't be compelled," Zac said angrily, his face betraying his doubt.
    "We've not come across many vampires older than we are. Perhaps it is possible." Sam wondered, a little alarmed. "Do you think the spell worked?"
    "You think the Witch Hunter did this?" Zac balked at the notion. "Why would they help me against werewolves?" 
    "I don’t know, but we need to be prepared for anything," Sam tried to keep his voice calm, level.
    Snorting angrily, Zac turned to begin cleaning up the mess. "The only logical explanation is that I blacked out and..."
    Sam's brow furrowed in concern, "A frenzy?"
    Zac sighed, confused, "It wouldn't be unheard of. I never was a dog person."
    Sam smiled wryly and bent to help his brother, already tired of thinking about the unexplainable, "Maybe you're right. They got you pretty good."
    Grimacing, Zac popped his ribs back in place with a sharp jab with his fingers. "Yeah, my fucking jaws still broke."
    "Sooner we get this swept under the rug, sooner we can get you something to eat, bro. Then you'll be shit talking again in no time."
    It took them all night to dispose of the bodies and wash away the blood, alternating trash detail with keeping watch. They didn't speak, resigned to listening to their own thoughts. Zac didn't know what happened to the woman Aya, where she had disappeared to, but he couldn't stop thinking about her. Even as he collected werewolf guts. She had a smart mouth on her, but he was determined to find out what she was and what she wanted. If she was the Witch Hunter, she would help them whether she wanted to or not.
    Once the night began to lighten into a murky grey pre-dawn, the scene was erased and the brothers headed home after yet another night of fighting, with more questions raised than answered. One problem solved and another problem gained. 
     
     

 
     
     
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
     
    W ith dawn came the sun. Monsters of the dark couldn't walk here, but for Aya it was never an issue. She could walk wherever she chose. She was strolling through the gardened square in the centre of Ashburton, marveling at the flowers and the manicured hedges lining the paths. It reminded her of a time long ago, another life where she was at peace. The winters day was crisp and clear, blue sky overhead, the humidity of the swamp non-existent. It was now the twenty-first century, she read on a discarded newspaper. She had slept for one hundred and fifty years, which was a lot longer than she had intended. If it wasn't for the summoning spell, she wasn't sure when she would have woken.
    Aya already liked this time. Apart from the technological advances, telephones and cars and electricity, it was the social advances she liked the most. Women were so much more free and powerful. And the fashions were seductive. She had already found a liking for rock'n'roll music and the clothing the sales woman, name tagged Rachel, had picked out for her. What did she call it? Motorcycle jacket, dark jeans, singlet and combat boots... Rock chic. Aya liked the sound of that. When it came time for payment, Aya stared into Rachel's eyes and made her forget. 
    After her shopping trip, she ventured into some of the other stores along the main street. Her favorite was the large bookstore Barnes&Noble, where any question she had about this time was answered for her. Outside, it was the town square and adjoining gardens that captured her attention. It seemed most of Ashburton was out and about, enjoying the unseasonable clear day. It had never taken her so long to adjust to a new era after waking, but the world had become so different in such a short time. 
    All the while she was exploring, she couldn't get the vision of what she had done the previous night out of her head. Losing control like that was unforgivable. She had wanted to rip apart the wolves so badly, but not until they had cornered that annoying vampire, Zac. Then she ripped them apart, into a million