Angels and Hunters (Stoker Sisters 2) Read online

  Throughout their lives, he’d always shared Delilah’s pain, though never as intensely as he did that very moment. Surely her wounds were far more severe than they had ever been before.

  His grief hung on every gasp and cry as he reached out for her and pulled her limp body to his chest.

  Their bond was something that had grown throughout the centuries. From her days as Mina, when Ashwin had first been turned, he’d held her in high regard. He’d even reluctantly admitted to himself that he’d once harbored a great desire to have her for his own, to gain her love. Not the brotherly love she’d so easily adorned him with, but the passionate and fiery love… the love she’d reserved only for Dracule.

  As he held her in his arms he gazed at Sadie, truly understanding for the first time his intense attraction to her. Sadie and Alexis, both raised by Delilah’s hand, held the qualities he’d so cherished in Delilah, especially Sadie.

  And now, as she looked at him with love, concern and fear for Delilah’s life clearly written in her eyes, he knew she felt the same foreboding sense of loss that he felt.

  “Mina,” he whispered into Delilah’s hair. “My dearest Mina. You can’t leave me now. We’ve still so much to accomplish. Come back to me now, Mina, and help me finish what we’ve started in this battle against Skars.”

  He pulled her closer, willing her to return to him. “Dracule’s legacy cannot survive without you. Mina, you must hear me.” He laid his lips to her forehead, remembering the young vampire he’d first known. His beloved Mina. Not only had she been forever beautiful to behold, but her wisdom, patience and diligence as she’d guided him into the world of vampirism had greatly touched him.

  A new vampire herself and she was already doing all she could to help ease his transition from human to new vampire. He fell in love with her then, and though she never returned his love, he always held the hope that one day she would. She’d impressed him from the very first moment they’d met. She’d guided him from the daydreams of a silly adolescent to the worldly ideals of a man. She was the woman he could never have…her heart belong to Dracule, and he was as devoted to his maker as she. As his first post vampire crush, she’d proven to be what all women should be; strong, intelligent, independent and with a heart filled with compassion for mankind.

  Delilah was dying. His Delilah, his Mina. They were the only two Ancients who can stop Skars, who can help guide Dracule’s daughters to their destiny. He loved her, and he loved Dracule…his descendants. But Delilah…she had always been there for him, even when they were apart, he knew she was around…that her presence was enough to keep him loyal to Dracule. She was the glue to holding his legacy together, for fulfilling the vampire legend, for keeping all vampires from succumbing to the demons all vampires faced. He set his lips over hers, tentatively at first, as though fearing the effect on her fragile state. Though cold, her lips tasted sweet and he knew he’d not completely lost her.

  A soft sigh, as gentle as the evening’s breeze, hushed in his ear.

  “Yes, Mina,” he said, kissing her cheeks and squeezing her tighter. “Come back to me, my sweet Mina.”

  “Ashwin?”

  Smiling he gazed down at her, eager to meet her gaze. Her eyes were still tightly closed, and on hearing a light stirring at his side, he realized his name had not been called by Mina but by Sadie. In his desire to bring back Delilah, he’d forgotten her presence.

  The moment he looked up at her, he knew the wealth of pain he’d callously showered upon her. His passionate embrace with Delilah… Sadie had witnessed it all.

  “Sadie…” Ashwin said, looking pained and torn. “Delilah and I had so much history together…I can’t let her die. I have to do everything I can to help her, to save her. Please forgive me.”

  Sadie turned away. How could Ashwin not love Delilah? They were the only Ancients left, besides Skars. Skars, Delilah, and Ashwin…entwined together forever as Dracule’s legacy.

  “You okay, Sadie?” Keegan said as he came to her side, his arm sliding easily around her waist.

  ***********

  Her heart stopped. Just as sure as if Skars had staked her, drained her of her blood and left her to turn to dust. Every fiber of her being died as Sadie watched Ashwin give his heart, so easily, so freely, so completely to Delilah. His love for her was undeniable and definitely not that of siblings.

  “Sadie,” Keegan said again. “You okay?”

  She couldn’t even bring herself to nod. She’d been just moments from giving him everything in those few passionate embraces. She’d envisioned a life with him, in his manor, and now his embraces were meant for another.

  She wanted to hate Delilah, but couldn’t. After all, what man could truly resist such a phenomenal woman?

  Keegan pulled her into his arms, helping to push the pain back of Ashwin’s betrayal. Yes, she thought with consolation, she had Keegan’s love and that was something she could cling to.

  “I’m here for you, Sadie,” Keegan went on. “I’ll always be here for you.”

  He gave her a tight squeeze and set a gentle kiss to her temple.

  Sadie wanted to shake the pain away; wanted to embrace Keegan’s word of reassurance, but she simply wasn’t ready for that yet. Give me a moment, she wanted to tell him. Give me a minute to allow all that has happened to sink in.

  Sadie sunk her face into Keegan’s chest, willing the painful image of Ashwin’s passionate kiss of Delilah to disappear. Gideon the Destroyer… yet here he was being gentler and more loving than she’d ever seen him. It was too much to bear.

  “It’s okay, my sweet Sadie,” Keegan hushed into her hair. “Lean on me.”

  Her arms snaked around him and she finally found the strength to squeeze him back. “I can’t believe I was so stupid,” she muttered, feeling all the more idiotic as the words spilled from her tongue. Stupid, stupid, stupid, that’s what she was.

  “You’re beautifully innocent and enchantingly naïve, but far, far from stupid.” Keegan pushed her away and held her at arms’ length. “You're a loving and compassionate woman who allowed herself to be taken in by a man who some believe to be the original Casanova. He played you artfully and you were at his mercy. Don’t hate yourself for that. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “And what of your intentions,” Sadie said, her voice quick to take on an accusatory tone as Alexis came into view. “Ashwin played us against the other, and you’ve done no better.”

  Fresh blood still drizzled off the end of the stake Alexis held in her hand. Pride played in her eyes, while a curious gaze took in the happenings.

  “Sadie,” Keegan said quietly. “I love you both, differently. I came to know both of you at the same time, and while I’ll admit to a few moments of doubt and confusion, I know my heart truly lies in your hands. It is you that I think about all the time; you that I so terribly want to be with every moment of every day.”

  “You say that now…”

  “Yes, now because I realized, from the moment I saw you in Ashwin’s arms, just how much I love you. You mean more to me than my own life. Doesn’t the fact that I’m out here tonight prove that? I put my hatred of vampires aside and found myself fighting alongside your sister and mentor.”

  Beyond everything, in that moment Sadie needed to believe him. She pulled in closer and clung to him as she reached up to capture his lips with hers. “I knew it was you I was meant to be with all along,” she whispered. Her lips were aflame as she kissed him more passionately, realizing just how true those words were. “I tried to bury the pain of your love for Alexis by convincing myself I belonged with Ashwin, but it was always you… You in the back of my mind, you in my heart.”

  Keegan let out a gentle groan as he heated the embrace by deepening his kiss.

  “What the…?” Alexis shouted.

  Sadie glanced at her sister. The pride has disappeared and was taken over by complete confusion and anger. “I just risked my life for you and you turn around and…”

  It was
easy to recognize just how furious Alexis was. Her fists were white, her eyes red and her lips pulled back baring her teeth. “You’ve never care about me, Sadie, just yourself. Take Ashwin. Take Keegan. For crying out loud, why don’t you just take my life while you're at it?”

  Before Sadie could say a word, Alexis turned her gaze to Ashwin and Delilah. A distinctive look of disgust played over her features as she looked upon her fallen mentor. The disgust turned to disdain when her eyes then settled on Ashwin.

  “You’re all a bunch of pathetic losers,” she muttered. “The Ancients are nothing but an older and more tired generation of vampires. Delilah’s dead? Well, isn’t that just as it should be? If she was too weak to fight… To hell with all of you.”

  Chapter 19

  As Alexis took in the dismal turn of events, she noticed a shadow lurking not far away, preparing to turn the night even deadlier. So caught up in their cozy embraces, both couples hardly noticed the danger they suddenly found themselves in.

  Before Alexis could shout out a warning, Skars swooped down on Keegan. His head clearly not on another battle, Keegan fell easily to the ground. But what really sparked Alexis’ anger was seeing Sadie fall roughly to the sand.

  “It’s time you paid for your treason, Hunter,” Skars spat. He reared his head and roared into the night. “You dare defy me after all I’ve done, after I’ve granted you immortality. You owe your very life to me, yet you spit on the opportunity to serve the strongest vampire who ever walked the earth. I might come to comprehend Ashwin and Delilah’s betrayal, but you? You made a pact, Hunter, an ironclad pact.”

  Keegan got to his feet and wiped the sand from his mouth with the back of his hand. Anger and determination splashed across his face. “Is that what brought you to kill Dr. Franz? Did you deliberately make it look like some amateur vampire job, when all along it was you?”

  Skars sneered.

  “Why?”

  “He took too much space in your life and I needed your loyalty to me to be absolute. He had to go.”

  “You're a selfish and conceited…”

  “Yes. I don’t expect you to understand the intricacies of vampire domination. That is why you are the Hunter and I’m the Gatherer, which is why I also have to remove the two rather charming Stoker sisters from your life. While their distraction is quite understandable, it is not acceptable.”

  “How dare you,” Keegan shouted, his anger taking control.

  “You need to be reminded who you are pledged to, Hunter,” Skars shouted with fervor.

  Keegan charged Skars, his eyes bulging with rage, his fists tightly secured about two stakes. He managed to thrust one deep into Skars’ left arm, rendering the vampire temporarily incapacitated, but the reprieve was short lived.

  Skars returned to throw Keegan to the ground, shoving his face deep into the sand.

  Spitting and struggling to keep his eyes open, Keegan fought to stay atop the increasingly violent battle. Skars refused to relent, kicking Keegan in the belly, ensuring the young hunter remained on the ground.

  “I’ll make an example of you and the world will know not to turn their back on Agar the Gatherer.” Easily overpowering Keegan, Skars pinned him to the ground, grinned in victory and sunk his fangs deep into Keegan’s vulnerable neck.

  By the time Alexis reached him, Sadie close at her side, much of Keegan’s blood had been drained and his life hung by a thread. Sadie quickly wrapped her arm around Skars’ neck, choking him while Alexis punched and kicked him.

  Only once Alexis had Skars secured and in control did Sadie leave him to go to Keegan’s aid. Was she too late?

  Chapter 20

  Though fighting off Skars was vital, Alexis wanted desperately to be the one holding Keegan, bringing him back to life. Seeing him at death’s door made the love she felt for him all the more evident. She needed him and would do anything to save him.

  For a brief moment, she let her guard down as she watched her sister, Keegan’s head in her lap. That brief moment was enough to allow Skars a serious blow to the back of her head. The stars in the sky paled in comparison to the stars that now played before her eyes.

  If Skars had been able to get the best of Delilah, as trained, experienced and strong as she was, it was no wonder he now came to her so easily. He struck her with a vengeance, sending more stars swirling about her head. With difficulty, she shook off the wave of dizziness that tried to gain control and found the strength to fight again.

  As she fought, thoughts of her mentor plagued her. For all she relished being the rebel, she did care about Delilah. Could Skars have taken the life of the woman who’d meant so much to her for so long, the woman who seemed indestructible?

  She struck Skars with a stiff blow to his jaw, her peripheral focus entirely on Ashwin as he struggled to bring Delilah back to life. Despite his diligent feeding of his blood through her lax lips, Delilah still showed no sign of life.

  Alexis’ anger spurred on even more, she threw all her weight, as slight as it might be, onto Skars’ back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck while raising her stake high. She would kill him, she thought with bloodlust. She had to kill him once and for all.

  As determined as she was, she still couldn’t maintain a strong hold of him and he threw her off his back with ease.

  Alexis, what do I do?

  The voice was distant, vague and weak. The voice was coming through…like Delilah’s had, penetrating through all thoughts.

  Alexis, help me. He’ll die…

  She finally realized the plaintive and helpless voice was that of Sadie. She glanced back, saw the deathly white pallor of his face and knew Sadie contemplated turning him.

  What do I do? I can’t just let him go…

  Alexis didn’t know what to do either. Her heart wanted to tell Sadie to save him at all costs, but…

  Before she could respond to Sadie’s cry for help, Alexis was torn from the earth and jerked high into the air. The cold, clammy hand of Skars held her tight while his acrid breath filled her ears.

  Sadie was too preoccupied with Keegan to help. Her mentor was at death’s door. No one could help her and Alexis knew there was little she could do to battle the strength of this Ancient.

  “I love you, Sadie,” she whispered just seconds before her world disappeared and she was teleported to a whole other sphere with Skars.

  Epilogue

  “Let go of me, you idiot leech,” Alexis shouted into the vacuum that seemed to envelope her.

  “You know that will never happen,” Skars said, his voice sure and confident. “I know you all too well. With Sadie so preoccupied with Keegan, and Delilah, whether dead or alive, entrenched far into the heart of Ashwin, there is no place for you in that mortal’s world. I know of the heartache you now suffer. I know of the pain you’ve endured. And I know that I am the one who can deliver you from that pain and suffering.”

  “You have no idea what I’m about. And what do you know of pain other than ensuring everyone around you aches and suffers at your hand?”

  “You’ve allowed a few unfortunate rumors to sully your opinion of me. Seems not so long ago you were all too eager to become one with me.”

  “You're sadly mistaken. I may have once fantasized escaping the dull routine and drudgery of vampirism in California, but my place is not with you, not then and not now. Release me now and let me get back to where I belong.”

  “Life as a Strigoi is more suited to your temperament than you realize, my delicious Alexis. Your lack of scruples and your capacity to be so cold-hearted are exactly the qualities I look for in new recruits. You have that, and all nicely wrapped up in a rather attractive package that appeals to me.”

  “You're wrong.”

  “Come with me and find out what it is to live without pain, without heartache, without jealousy or envy. Come find the pride in who and what you are, the joy of hunting, feeding, living. My men will all lose their hearts to you, my princess. Yet you’ll be mine.”


  Alexis struggled against his hold, but to no avail. For the time being she would have to succumb to his wish and wait for the right opportunity when she could be free again.

  ************

  Staring down at Keegan, Sadie willed him to regain consciousness. She’d never realized his immortality was so fragile, that his immortality only gave him everlasting life, but was not strong enough to stave off death should a mortal wound come to him.

  She knew she had to save him. Biting into her wrist, she drew a narrow but steady stream of blood. When she brought her wrist to Keegan’s lips, she urged him to drink of her blood.

  His lips refuse to cooperate.

  “Please, Keegan, drink. Drink and stay with me.”

  He swallowed a few drops, but his eyes remained closed. He drank with increasing hunger, but still his body remained limp.

  “Good,” she whispered. “Don’t stop, Keegan.” As she spoke, she ran her fingers through his hair, encouraged by the strength she suddenly felt building up inside him. Tears fill her eyes as her longing to have him live became urgent, almost desperate. She needed him, she realized. “I love you, Keegan. I love you so much it hurts. Don’t leave me now.”

  Though his eyes remained closed, his fingers wrapped around her hand.

  “I know you're a hunter and I shouldn’t love you so, but my heart doesn’t care what you're called. All it knows is the wonderful upstanding man you are. All it knows is how you make me feel, just by looking at me. Say a word and I’m yours, Keegan. Love me and I’ll be yours forever. Stay with me… Stay with me now.”

  His hand tightened around hers and his eyes opened for a brief moment, a moment filled with questions, doubt and accusations.

  “I know I don’t deserve you. I’m everything you’ve fought against for so long. I’ve taken so much blood from so many humans, drank to nourish myself, taken what was not mine to take. But I can’t help what I feel for you… and I can’t help keep hoping you feel something for me too.”