Free A Hunters Promise by Gwendolyn Cease

worry that the journal was the only thing in here.”
    “Do we have anything else from this guy? The letter reads like it’s part of a series or something. Like they’ve been writing to one another a while.”
    “What’s his name?”
    “Feral? Maybe? No, wait, Lucian?”
    “That can’t be right,” Quenton muttered. “No Ancient has a name like Lucian.”
    “Maybe his parents wanted him to fit in,” Reaper suggested.
    “Could be, but, I think you were right with the first name. Feral, that’s what the signature at the end looks like. Who is Lucian?”
    “I think that’s who he’s writing to.”
    “Wait,” Quenton said as he hurried over to a large cabinet.
    Reaper watched the smaller man shuffle through papers and books. He was careful, but quick, and Reaper wondered how he kept everything straight. Hell, what did it matter? As soon as he could, he was hitting the streets. He needed to get out and kill something. Sitting on his ass was making him antsy and wired.
    “I found it,” Quenton said, carrying a small leather bound book over. “I thought I recognized his name. We have his journal.” He put it on the desk in front of Reaper. “This should tell us who Lucian is.”
    “You already know.”
    “No, I suspect, but I don’t know. Not for sure.”
    “Who? So I don’t have to read every single page in the book.”
    “I think Lucian is his Liaison.”
    Reaper thought about it for a long moment. Why couldn’t a human male be an Ancient’s Liaison? There were no rules that said only male and female. Hell, right now, they were shooting in the dark, so there were no such things as rules.
    “Does that disturb you?” Quenton asked.
    “What?” Reaper looked at him.
    “Does the idea that a male could be your or another Hunter’s Liaison bother you?” Quenton asked, watching him closely. “Never mind, of course it does. You Hunters are such manly men.”
    The last part was said with such sarcasm that Reaper almost smiled. Almost. Instead, he pulled Quenton down and kissed him. The other man fell into him, which gave Reaper the control. He thrust his tongue into Quenton’s mouth and swirled it around, tasting. Heat, a slight hint of tea, and spicy like the man himself. Quenton shuddered and hummed low in his throat. He was a hot handful, Reaper thought, as he slowly pulled away and righted the other man.
    “It doesn’t bother me, at all,” Reaper said his voice a growl.
    With that, he stood and left the library.
    * * * *
    Aislinn pulled on the clothes Joelle had brought her. It made her feel more normal to actually put things on that fit her instead of wearing oversized men’s clothing. Charon’s clothing. Thinking of Charon brought images of him to her mind. Him licking her and touching her and… Stop , she thought. Stop thinking of him . The whole episode was never going to happen again. It couldn’t. He was a vampire, and she was human. His kind scared her. Yeah , the voice in her head whispered, sure he does. Scares you that he won’t do it again.
    “Whatever,” she muttered.
    She grabbed up the brush and ran it through her hair. Quickly, she braided the mess and flipped it over her shoulder. She felt more like herself now, and even better, she didn’t have to pretend here. There would be no nurse shuffling in to give her medicine that she’d pretend to take. She wouldn’t have to go to therapy sessions or mix with people who thought she was crazier than they were.
    She moved to the door, but it opened before she got there. Charon stepped in. The two of them watched one another warily until Aislinn shook her head. She refused to feel awkward in front of him. What they’d done, they’d done together. She hadn’t forced him, and he certainly hadn’t forced her. Just because it wouldn’t happen again didn’t mean they couldn’t still work together.
    “Hey,” she said, “I’m ready.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “Ready? You’re clothed, so it doesn’t look like it.”
    She