I’d been a complete asshole and I knew it. I should have warned Richard that he was going to come face to face with one of the vamps. I hadn’t, though, because I’d hoped that the Hunter would sense that he was unwanted and turn around and go back to where he came from, his Lords then informing our Council to be sensible and help me out with the Census data. Of course, that had been before I saw him and felt his presence. He was beautiful, there was no other word for it, and his aura screamed of a predatory danger. I’d known he was a Hunter, one of the vamps’ legendary elite that rumor said did everything from track down wanted criminals and wayward spouses to political assassinations. My brain had kept adding the word ‘omega’ in front of ‘Hunter’, though, and I couldn’t help but think that somehow put him on par with myself or one of my deputies, his gender giving him a weakness I could exploit.
Which, to be fair, I owed myself another mental ass kicking for. I knew better than to give into gender bias. Hell, I knew that from personal experience. My own younger brother was an omega and he was easily as strong and agile as some of the alphas out there. Not to mention skilled – he’d taken up martial arts and was fully capable of taking down someone by using their own size and strength against him. It’s why he’s a pretty highly paid family bodyguard for the Lord Mayor of Marner Township. Until today, I’d have scoffed and said the mayor and his family didn’t need one, but right now, with Councilman Roe’s son dead, I’m glad they do. I just wish everyone could be as safe.
That’s what all this boiled down to. I’d had my head up my ass, wanting to keep everyone safe, and feeling inadequate, and I took it out on Pilar and Richard. The Hunter seemed unaware of it, thank goodness, but Richard kept shooting me dirty looks from under the brim of his hat. I had some serious making up to do there.
“So, how does this Huntin’ thing of yours work?” Richard asked Pilar. “Is it true you sniff ’em out?”
I wanted to go hide in a hole. Pilar just laughed, though, his tenor making a melodious sound, the vibration of it a soothing presence. Still, did Richard have to make us sound like such rubes?
“There is an element of scenting involved, yes. We also use deductive reasoning and other skills,” Pilar replied.
“So, basically, like us.” Richard sounded unimpressed.
“Like your species if you also have the extra senses mine do,” came the quiet rejoinder.
“Like what? More than being able to smell a bit more?”
“Hey, Richard,” I said, eager to divert the topic, “I’ve been thinking.”
“Uh oh, so that’s where all the smoke was coming from,” Richard jibed. “Okay, I’ll bite.”
I inwardly cringed at his unfortunate phrasing. I seriously hoped our guest didn’t think Richard was taking a swipe at him because he has fangs!
“The earrings. It occurred to me that if we took the earrings along to a few of the markets, one of the merchants might recognize the craftsmanship and be able to point us to who made them. Our two unknowns might have gotten them from the same place and the artisans might be able to point us towards that.”
“You want me to do that? It’s market day tomorrow in Liberty Bell.”
“Sure. Just don’t spend too much of your time there flirting with the server at the Wine and Cheese.”
Richard was sweet on that lad and I knew it, so it was a real concern. Normally I’d be all right with him taking a bit of a longer lunch to do some flirting and courting, but not this time.
“I wasn’t gonna!” he protested. “This is an important case and I know every second counts!”
“Here we are. Welcome to Freedom Rings,” I announced for the benefit of my passenger, as we entered the town limits. “Richard, you can get on home. I’ll take Pilar here on up to Councilman Roe’s place.”
“See you tomorrow, when I get back,” Richard answered cheerfully, continuing on while I turned Winnie down the side road that led to the Councilman’s estate. As I eyed up the trees and bushes of the small forest between the house and the road, I found myself wondering if they were how the killer managed to snag Jeddah? Had Jeddah been enjoying the solitude of the gardens while evil had stalked him from the nearby trees, catching him by surprise when he wandered too close?
“Tomorrow, then,” Pilar called out after him. We rode along in silence while I stared into the trees we passed, willing them to give up any secrets they knew. A few minutes later, the broad expanse of lawn appeared, the road turning into a slab-paved driveway that came along one side of the feathery purple-tinged grass, gently curving as it approached the two-story dwelling until it ran between the house and the lawn before it, ending at the stables that housed the Councilman’s own drigar beasts and the garage that held the vintage rover that had been part of the original colony equipment. It didn’t run anymore, but the eldest son, Carlos, loved to tinker with it, hoping to someday get it going once more.
Pointing at the large boulder perched at the bottom of the drive, Pilar asked, “Is this bell theme culturally important? I noted that your town names also often have a related theme.”
I laughed. “No, it’s called Bellamy House because Councilman Roe’s great-great-whatever-grandfather’s name was James Bellamy and he built the house. Nothing to do with bells at all. Just the name is similar.”
“I see.”
I could tell from his tone that he really didn’t, so thought I’d elaborate a little. I told myself that doing so had zero to do with me trying to impress the guy. “Yeah, well, um, see, there was this space race…no, wait, I need to go back farther. Okay, so there was this religious sect who decided that when local governments got on their case for having extremist views and trying to push them on others, they were actually being persecuted, so they went from country to country trying to establish a foothold where they could grow unhindered. They were called Puritans and well, they were pretty stringent and really had some horrific things they’d do to people for even minor infractions. They were all up into the business of members’ private lives, even. Anyways, a new-to-everyone-else continent was found and they hopped onboard a wooden ship that this one country’s government sorta helped them get because they wanted them to get the hell out of their country, same as everyone else had. They sailed across the sea and established a colony and then other groups also came and did the same thing, only sponsored by the different countries.
“This one country called England kinda had the most, and eventually, the colonies all decided they didn’t like being told what do so they all rebelled and joined together and sent the soldiers from the old countries’ governments packing after declaring independence and that they were all sticking together to make a new sovereign country, where people were free to worship the way they wanted to, not pay tax without getting a say so about it, and elect their own government.”
I felt him shift behind me, the movement causing his groin to rub against my ass. My cock began to harden in response.
“So, what you’re telling me is that your ancestors all got on a boat and took over some land, sight unseen, and created their own country.”
“Yep, pretty much.”
We drew up outside of the house, a stable boy running out to greet us.
“And did anyone else already live there?”
Ooof. Maybe I should have found another way to explain things.
“Well, yeah, there was, and it didn’t go so well for them, sadly,” I admitted.
“Hmm,” he said, and just like that, I was limp again and once more wanting to find a hole to go climb into.
“I’ll make sure he’s fed and watered,” the lad assured me, taking the reins from me.
Pilar dismounted and the youngster’s sharp intake of breath told me he’d just realized who, or rather what, I’d been riding along with.
“A vampire,” he breathed. “Please sir, may I see your fangs?” he asked excitedly. “Oh, wow!”
“You didn’t have to show him,” I grumbled. “You’re not a sideshow or anything.”
“I love your daggers!” the boy continued on, unabashed. “You’re a real, live Hunter, aren’t ya?”
“I am,” Pilar confirmed.
“Wait until my friends hear about this!”
Pilar grinned, reaching into his pocket, taking out a silver coin. “Here, this is a trachmar. It’s a low denomination coin, so I won’t miss it, but I bet if anyone doubts you’ve met me, they’ll believe you when they see you have a coin from my realm.”
“Thanks, Mr. Hunter, sir!” The boy snatched the coin from Pilar’s hand before hurriedly turning away, perhaps afraid that Pilar might change his mind and ask for it back. Either that, or he was in a hurry to get Winnie settled so he could go brag. That was actually far more likely, I decided.
“He’s a cute kid,” Pilar said. “I’m glad he wasn’t afraid of me.”
I didn’t know what to say to that and was grateful when the front door opened, revealing Councilman Roe.