Free The Hunt by C.J. Ellisson Page B

wolf, Melvyn, to let him know Jet was out scouting ahead and would meet up with him in thirty minutes.” I gulp at the thought of the remembered blood on the pathway. “When I rounded the last bend in the path,” motioning with my arm toward the main building and the hot tub grotto, “I smelled a trace of blood—and followed it here.”
    “Let’s wait for the others before we go in. Asa was calling the rest of the seethe while I ran over, they should be here soon.”
    The silence between us doesn’t last long. I’m dying to slake my curiosity somehow. “Drew?”
    “Yup?”
    “You ever drink werewolf blood?”
    Drew’s head whips around from where he was staring at the dimly-lit path. “Umm… yeah. Why?”
    “Just wondering what it’s like.”
    “Considering Jonathan is the only one that lives here you won’t have a chance to find out any time soon, that’s for damn sure.” He looks pensive for a moment, like he’s deciding on how much to say. “What was something you really enjoyed eating as a human?”
    Interesting question when posed to a new vampire who made his living as a professional chef for over a decade, with the belly to prove it. I pat my slimming middle — the liquid diet is working wonders — and respond, “I’m not sure if I could narrow that down to ten items without some serious contemplation. Why?”
    “Vampires find werewolf blood delicious. For me, it was as if the lifeblood running through their veins was more alive. More meaty —for lack of a better descriptor. Reminded me of a good steak, at times it was damn hard to resist going back for seconds.”
    I think about his words and wonder what it would taste like for me. My canines start to elongate, pushing painfully through my gums. The sensation still unnerves and embarrasses me, like I’m a high school kid walking around with a boner.
    “You do know a lot of vampires become addicted to Were-blood, right?”
    That puts a new spin on things. “No. I hadn’t known. Really?”
    “Oh yeah. The power goes to their heads and the taste keeps them craving more and more. Best you avoid tasting it ‘til you’re older.”
    Vivian and Rafe round the bend on the same pathway where I smelled the blood. Jonathan lopes a step or two behind the couple.
    “Where’s Joanna?” Vivian calls out.
    Drew becomes a little stiff, but answers quickly enough. “I haven’t seen her in a while. Do you want to wait?”
    “No, we’ll fill her in later. Thanks for not going in yet. Everyone stay by the door upon entry and let Jonathan see if he can identify the killer by scent.”
    We all filter inside, following Vivian’s instructions. This cabin looks like all the others and has a large, open living area. The kill occurred in the connected bedroom, so we have plenty of room.
    “It was one of the vampires in the theater, that’s for sure.” Jon doesn’t even need to go into the bedroom to announce his findings. Damn, he’s good. “I wasn’t at the meet and greet in the lobby, so I don’t know which one.”
    “Are you implying it could be someone else and not Emiko?” Rafe asks.
    Drew trailed over to peer in the bedroom doorway and interjects before the werewolf can answer, “Cy reported to Asa that Emiko was trained as a ninja.”
    “Really?” Vivian raises an eyebrow. “I haven’t spoken with Asa since the hunter’s arrival in the lobby. Nice to know Cy got some info on her quickly.”
    Vivian also walks to the bedroom, but doesn’t stop at the doorway; she heads straight in. My urges are back and I don’t want to embarrass myself. I think I’ll stay here by the front door.
    “Good God,” she says. “What a mess. I wouldn’t have expected this from an older vampire.”
    I know what they are seeing, I close my eyes to help prevent the images from spilling back in, but it doesn’t help. The cold, lifeless form of the once vital werewolf, his neck broken and head at an unnatural angle... his throat ripped open in