Read Online Creature of Habit (Creature of Habit #1) by Angel Lawson - Free Book Online
Authors: Angel Lawson
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never reappeared from his rooms.
At six o’ clock I packed my bags and left my daily report on the desk. At the front door, I paused for a moment at the bottom of the steps, positive that I could hear the faint strains of music from above. It must be nice to hide away while everyone else fixed your problems.
Chapter 12
Grant
The buck fell easily and I drained his blood with efficiency. As I wiped a drop from the corner of my mouth I heard the snap of a branch and froze. The other forest animals fled the instant I took down the deer. I should be the only one out here. Too late at night for hunters and too far off the beaten path for hikers.
Just me and my prey, or so I thought.
The air stirred, pushing a gust past me. I inhaled. Musky and cool. The smell would appeal to a human, but for another creature of the night it kicked my instincts in gear.
“Who’s there?” I asked. It was, after all, my territory. Silence was the only reply but now I saw the edge of a heavy wool jacket and a flash of short red hair. “Show yourself, friend.”
He stepped from his spot, hands up. “Just traveling through,” he said. His voice carried a Midwestern drawl. “Heard you on the hunt.”
I didn’t acknowledge the buck I’d just consumed, but I knew what he was thinking. Feeding on animals wasn’t popular among my kind. “Ah, so you’re new to this area. I’m Grant Palmer.”
“Palmer?” The instant the word left his mouth I caught an additional odor. He wasn’t alone.
“Traveling companion?” I asked.
“Nah. More like a snack I’m saving it for later. These mountains are pretty dense, not a lot of civilization.” Again, his eyes flicked to the animal carcass. “But I guess you already knew that.”
“Pickings get a little slim out here. You wouldn’t mind giving me a taste would you?”
A muffled squeak came from behind the man’s back. In the shadows I made out a small shape—a girl from the looks of it. Her hands were tied with a thick rope. Was this man part of the Predator’s group?
He hesitated as expected. Sharing wasn’t a priority of our kind. Finders keepers was more like it. I took a step closer and made eye contact with the girl. “You okay?”
She froze but I didn’t look away and I heard her weak plea, “Help me.”
I nodded and said, “I think she’d rather come with me.”
The vampire frowned. “Doesn’t work that way, friend. This one is mine and I have plans for her. You’ll need to get your own—unless you like eating filthy animals, and something tells me you do.”
I clutched the handle of the knife in my hand and moved fast, slicing away at the binds. The girl stumbled back while the vampire sprang into action, rushing at me with full, unbridled force. I swiped at his legs, tripping him. He landed with a thud, sliding across the forest floor—leaves and dirt scattering on impact. With the upper hand I pounced landing hard on his chest. We tussled on the ground, rolling down an embankment, until we got to the bottom. Wrapping my hands around his throat I declared, “You made a mistake coming into my territory. The Palmers run these mountains and kidnapping girls is against our standards.”
He kicked and sputtered beneath me. I leaned over and pressed the tip of the knife to his throat. His eyes narrowed and he said, “You’re a freak.”
“And you’re dead. For real this time.”
With the blade I slit his throat before tearing it off in one quick move. I wiped the dirty knife blade on ground before looking up at the girl. She stood frozen, eyes wide in terror. I gave her a fast nod and said, “Let’s get you home.”
~*~
I left the girl, Maggie, with Olivia, after compelling her to forget most of what she’d experienced. With my face and actions wiped from her memory, I set off toward the coordinates I’d entered in my watch before I left the office. Reaching the location documented in the police report didn’t take long.
At six o’ clock I packed my bags and left my daily report on the desk. At the front door, I paused for a moment at the bottom of the steps, positive that I could hear the faint strains of music from above. It must be nice to hide away while everyone else fixed your problems.
Chapter 12
Grant
The buck fell easily and I drained his blood with efficiency. As I wiped a drop from the corner of my mouth I heard the snap of a branch and froze. The other forest animals fled the instant I took down the deer. I should be the only one out here. Too late at night for hunters and too far off the beaten path for hikers.
Just me and my prey, or so I thought.
The air stirred, pushing a gust past me. I inhaled. Musky and cool. The smell would appeal to a human, but for another creature of the night it kicked my instincts in gear.
“Who’s there?” I asked. It was, after all, my territory. Silence was the only reply but now I saw the edge of a heavy wool jacket and a flash of short red hair. “Show yourself, friend.”
He stepped from his spot, hands up. “Just traveling through,” he said. His voice carried a Midwestern drawl. “Heard you on the hunt.”
I didn’t acknowledge the buck I’d just consumed, but I knew what he was thinking. Feeding on animals wasn’t popular among my kind. “Ah, so you’re new to this area. I’m Grant Palmer.”
“Palmer?” The instant the word left his mouth I caught an additional odor. He wasn’t alone.
“Traveling companion?” I asked.
“Nah. More like a snack I’m saving it for later. These mountains are pretty dense, not a lot of civilization.” Again, his eyes flicked to the animal carcass. “But I guess you already knew that.”
“Pickings get a little slim out here. You wouldn’t mind giving me a taste would you?”
A muffled squeak came from behind the man’s back. In the shadows I made out a small shape—a girl from the looks of it. Her hands were tied with a thick rope. Was this man part of the Predator’s group?
He hesitated as expected. Sharing wasn’t a priority of our kind. Finders keepers was more like it. I took a step closer and made eye contact with the girl. “You okay?”
She froze but I didn’t look away and I heard her weak plea, “Help me.”
I nodded and said, “I think she’d rather come with me.”
The vampire frowned. “Doesn’t work that way, friend. This one is mine and I have plans for her. You’ll need to get your own—unless you like eating filthy animals, and something tells me you do.”
I clutched the handle of the knife in my hand and moved fast, slicing away at the binds. The girl stumbled back while the vampire sprang into action, rushing at me with full, unbridled force. I swiped at his legs, tripping him. He landed with a thud, sliding across the forest floor—leaves and dirt scattering on impact. With the upper hand I pounced landing hard on his chest. We tussled on the ground, rolling down an embankment, until we got to the bottom. Wrapping my hands around his throat I declared, “You made a mistake coming into my territory. The Palmers run these mountains and kidnapping girls is against our standards.”
He kicked and sputtered beneath me. I leaned over and pressed the tip of the knife to his throat. His eyes narrowed and he said, “You’re a freak.”
“And you’re dead. For real this time.”
With the blade I slit his throat before tearing it off in one quick move. I wiped the dirty knife blade on ground before looking up at the girl. She stood frozen, eyes wide in terror. I gave her a fast nod and said, “Let’s get you home.”
~*~
I left the girl, Maggie, with Olivia, after compelling her to forget most of what she’d experienced. With my face and actions wiped from her memory, I set off toward the coordinates I’d entered in my watch before I left the office. Reaching the location documented in the police report didn’t take long.
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