Free Stunner by Trina M Lee

Chapter One
     
     
    Walking into a nest of vampires wasn’t
the smartest decision I’d made this week. Cocky, ignorant, even a
little bit stupid. If I survived it, my colleagues, Kale and Jez,
would never let me hear the end of it.
    I knew better than to hunt alone. The
problem was that I hadn’t taken the time to determine how many
vampires I was dealing with. I had only come for one. A sloppy
mistake for sure. One that may now get me killed.
    Six vampires. Too many for me to take
on. Having my hands bound behind my back rendered me pretty much
helpless. I couldn’t direct my power properly this way. I lacked
the focus needed.
    “ You know, I think I’m ready
to leave now. This was a big mistake on my part. So if you’ll just
cut me loose, I’ll let you get back to your evening.” I smiled
brightly, refusing to openly acknowledge my growing
fear.
    The three vampires keeping watch
laughed and joked about how their evening was looking up, thanks to
me. Their buddies were outside, making sure I had come alone.
Because I had let the hunger for the hunt outweigh my common sense,
I was alone. I had told nobody where I was going. Not even my
closest friend, fellow werewolf, Shaz. Young, reckless and dead.
Talk about learning the hard way.
    “ It ain’t every day we get a
sweet piece like you walking in here.” The short, stout vampire
seated on a stool directly across from me leered. He wore a grin
that exposed yellowing fangs. I shuddered at the thought of them
touching me.
    “ Especially a werewolf,”
added another guy as he sniffed at me as if I were fresh
meat.
    I leaned as far away as I could, which
wasn’t far. Irritated by my obvious rejection, he snapped his teeth
together, inches from my face. I jumped, cursing myself again for
such a foolish blunder.
    These vamps hunted innocents. Soccer
moms and accountants. Regular every day people that never deserved
to die that way. I’d come here to right a wrong and succeeded in
making myself a victim.
    The third vampire present, Octavia,
stared out the window. She was the one I’d come for. “If they don’t
come back soon I’m going to open a vein on her. Can you smell that?
She has power.”
    Thanks for reminding me,
bitch. I kept
the thought to myself but focused on the power coiled in my core.
The wolf was useless right now. I couldn’t shift while bound. That
left my metaphysical abilities, as erratic and misguided as they
may be.
    I concentrated on Octavia, feeling she
was the biggest threat in the room. Her energy felt lively and
hungry. I needed to prove I was a force to be reckoned
with.
    “ Screw that.” The first guy
spoke up. “You can bleed her after we’re done with her.”
    Oh, God. This was just getting better.
I’d rather Octavia kill me than have to live through whatever those
creeps had in mind.
    “ It’s taking those idiots
too long. Something is wrong.” Octavia turned to me with a raised
brow. “Any idea what that could be?”
    “ No.” I really didn’t. My
shoulders slumped. I wasn’t able to focus my power. Not without use
of my hands to direct the forced that filled me.
    I turned my attention to the heavy zip
ties binding my hands together behind my back. It was possible to
break out of them. If I didn’t have to deal with the awkward angle
of my wrists, it would be easier.
    “ One of you go check on the
others,” Octavia ordered. “This feels like a trap. If they ran into
trouble I’d like a heads up.” So she could run. Octavia had a tough
front but it didn’t go far beyond the exterior.
    “ I don’t answer to you,”
Yellowteeth snarled.
    The two of them glared daggers at each
other. I took the opportunity to tug at the zip ties, testing them
for weakness. Their buddy saw an opportunity too and he went for
it.
    He was on me before I could scream.
Ravenous and wild, he sank fangs deep into my neck. A strangled
sound escaped me, something between a shriek and a growl. Blood
poured down my neck and chest, soaking my